Becoming Brilliant

I have recently read this excellent book about how to 'be brilliant'. More specifically it explains the basics behind positive psychology, and training yourself to be happy. The authors, Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker, introduce their six common sense principles, and I include here the most important points that I learned from reading the book.


Choose to be positive
"Positive people choose to be positive. This conscious choice to be positive and upbeat doesn't make the sun shine or the traffic disappear, but it does put you in a better frame of mind to deal with the rubbish that life inevitably throws at you... By actively choosing to be positive we are better able to attack the issues with purpose, vigour and enthusiasm and are more likely to come up with solutions. 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react to the 10%. If we understand this rule, we can begin to control our feelings and therefore trigger different behaviours and outcomes."

Understand your impact

The book highlights the importance of the 4-minute rule, made popular by Steve McDermott, who write about the first four minutes of any social interaction being the most important. A quick search on the internet reveals that the rule can be applied to:

• Getting things done;

What actually happens is that if you do anything with energy and enthusiasm for at least 4 minutes, enough endorphins will be released into your system that makes you feel good and that good feeling gets associated with what you are then doing at the time. (http://www.carpeworld.com/tag/4-minute-rule/)

• Dating

You can predict how an evening with your partner will be based on the first four minutes of your time together, so make those minutes count! Bring flowers. Greet each other with a compliment. Ask questions about your partner's day. Smile; it'll make a difference. (http://www.oprah.com/relationships/7-Steps-to-Rescuing-Romance/6)

• Family

The book gives a great example of how this can be applied to family life.

Take personal responsibility

"If things aren't working out, positive people are big enough to point the finger back at themselves and say, 'OK, what can I do to get an outcome? How can I change something about me to influence the situation?'"

Have bouncebackability

"When life's dealt you a redundancy or marriage break-up, or when someone you love dies, then it's very hard to bounce back. People who apply positive psychology manage it, largely because they've chosen to be positive and so they know that the current situation is not permanent. They move forward positively rather than wallow in the negativity. If you like, they remain focused on the solution rather than the problem."

Set Huge Goals

Doug Belshaw, in his book "#uppingyourgame: A Practical Guide To Personal Productivity, writes about the importance of setting goals. In The Art of Being Brilliant, the authors write about the need for "HUGGS (Huge Unbelievable Great Goals, whopping goals, on the edge of achievability. You'll need to stretch your yourself to attain them. 'Aim for the sky and if you'll miss you'll end up amongst the stars.' The goals should excite you - close your eyes and picture yourself having achieved your goal."

Play to your strengths

"Be aware of your weaknesses - plug them if they are stopping you performing your job safely or competently. Other than that, chill. Everyone has weaknesses. What you'll find is that successful people focus on their strengths rather than their weak areas."

"Positive people choose to be positive. This conscious choice to be positive and upbeat doesn't make the sun shine or the traffic disappear, but it does put you in a better frame of mind to deal with the rubbish that life inevitably throws at you... By actively choosing to be positive we are better able to attack the issues with purpose, vigour and enthusiasm and are more likely to come up with solutions."


Great advice which I really want to try to follow during 2011 and beyond!