Nicholas Bate

Forecast 2009: 25

1. Things will be tough.
2. However, you will be tougher (1).
3. A lot of people will say a lot of stupid things.
4. Some of those people – shockingly -  will be world leaders who will miss the point, the mark and the delivery date.
5. However, you will be smarter, more creative and with an absolute commitment to JFDI (2).
6. Many will talk about the ‘shrinking pie’.
7. A minority will talk (only) about ‘see it as an opportunity’.
8. You will both create your own pie, grab the opportunities and ‘walk the talk’. (3)
9. Much will out of your control: the weather, global economics and the  selection for the basket-ball team.
10. You’re OK with that: you’ll manage what you can: you, your attitude and your hair-cut. (4)
11. There’ll be some sweaty times: tricky cash-flow, mortgage headaches and the odd flat-tyre. And dealing with the guy in customer service who simply doesn’t get it.
12. However, you’ll sweat it. Easy. (5)
13. Most will continue as ever: just hoping.
14. You’ll hope but you’ll also be forever learning. (6)
15. Most will continue as ever: same old, same old.
16. You’ll use the best of the old, but add difference. (7)
17. And passion. (8)
18. You will lead your family, your team and in your own community through example. (9)
19. You’ll finally give up on trying to get more time. You don’t need more time-just better choices (10) which you can easily make when you are the
20. Best version of you by simply allowing it: more being and less doing. More walks, less e-mail and key-boarding. More inspiring literature, mountains, seashores, football in the park with the kids, home-baked bread, discovering new music…. and less hanging around complaining by the water-cooler with the guys from product marketing. (11).
21. 2009 will be the year of the Five Ps. Persistence.  Pragmatism. Pareto. Pencil. And Paper. It’ll be all you need. Absolutely all you need. (12).
22. 2009 is the year when you will encourage others: your team, your kids. And the guy who sells The Big Issue. Oh, and the struggling trainee barista at your local Starbucks. Smile: it’ll be OK. (13)
23. 2009 will be a year of walk not talk. Give not take. Thank not judge. Learn not blame. (14).
24. 2009 is going to be a very cool year.
25. Bring it on.

I wish you all the very best for 2009.

Note: each of the twelve numbered points e.g. ...you will be tougher (1)...will be clarified with ideas and action over the next twelve days. This - if you wish - will give you a simple plan for making 2009 your best year ever.

Why We Love The Beatles: 44 of 100

He awoke at Wimpole Street at the home of his girlfriend’s parents. Jane Asher was a serious relationship and her world, coupled with the twenty-two year old’s natural curiosity was taking him to new horizons of literature, theatre and art; all very different from the Liverpool of his youth.  The London location had given the young man a real place to hide away and he awoke with a tune in his head. It came suddenly. Many of us do that-but it’s usually someone else’s tune; more often than not a very unimaginative take of the current number one. Paul McCartney, though, has a gift that when he finds a tune, it’s one he’s created. And now at three times that age, he’s still doing it: there’s absolutely no way he is half the man he used to be.

That tune, that day, however was causing Paul a little concern. The song was so right, so attractive and so fully-formed, well, to be honest was it someone else’s? It took on a working lyric: scrambled eggs, oh my baby how I love your legs. Paul loved it; he knew the tune was here to stay. Fully-formed lyrics were eventually teased out during a holiday to Portugal with Jane. Simple, direct. Perfect.

His continuing versatility is displayed by the fact that on the very same day he recorded his calm, detached vulnerable yet simple version he had also screamed I’m Down and the gorgeous I’ve Just Seen A Face.

Yesterday has been such an important song for so many reasons, many of them ‘firsts’. It was a first real Beatle solo. It drew on classical music approaches which once the band really stopped touring would take them down some fascinating avenues. It was outside the then Beatles rock’n roll brand, so much so that its release was delayed, especially in the UK.  It has a lovely universality: anyone of any age or culture or sex can understand and relate to the song. And despite being played and covered so many times, its power - in the original -  has never been reduced. To hear Sir Paul  play it live in concert today is to hear its beguiling simplicity totally afresh.

Play the original again, now.

That’s another reason we love the Beatles

Mm mm mm mm mm.

Why We Love The Beatles: 43 of 100

The back-story: a sprawling, in parts flawed, album which gives us a unique perspective into the developing talents of the Fab Four: The White Album:

concept and disc1/side1

disc1/side2

Disc2/Side1: Birthday; Yer Blues; Mother Nature's Son; Everybody's Got To Hide Something..; Sexy Sadie; Helter Skleter: The lads experimenting with heavy rock and approaches beyond the structure of their quartet. Sir Paul still plays Helter Skelter in some current sets and references it as the beginnings of works which lead to his current The Fireman; Long, Long, Long: from George and simple and expressive.

Worth re-listening to the latter two in particular.

It's another reason why we love The Beatles.

At Times, Life is Like a...

holiday turkey. You've tackled it every possible way: roast, hash, sandwiches and soup. And you've lost your passion for it. That's when rice and lentils is good.

Oh Marketer, What are you Reading?

Top up your stack of 'to read' from this well-considered list.

Power Question 16 of 25

A powerful, focused question can get to the heart of the matter:

What keeps niggling? What keeps coming to mind over the holiday season? Don't squash the thought: address it.

The Seven Positions of Bias

This is a cool little model from top blogger, astute commentator and man-with-the-links-you-need Michael Wade. Oh and thanks to Michael for offering a full-on Holiday service while the rest of us have been shirking a bit.

TTD (Things To Do): When You Think You Hate Your Job and Want To Resign on Monday 5th

1. Do you really hate your job?
2. Or are you just de-stressing and pi**ed off? This time of year (funnily enough) can do that?
3. Would some time out, sleep and fresh out-of-work interests solve 'the problem'?
4. No? So what do you hate? All of it? The commute?
5. And what could get rid of what you dislike and get you more of what you like?
6. Grab a pen: craft a plan. 
7. To move towards what you want.
8. Not to escape from what you don't want.
9. Might as well do that now.
10. Er, that's now!

A Shiver Down His Spine...

from Confused of Calcutta and that oh-so-wonderful picture.

Celeb Productivity: Wallace & Gromit

Think systems.