Be Your Best: ‘I think it’s given me a wider perspective on the various elements of happiness’

‘Considering myself to be reasonably active I was surprised to see the lack of physical activity in my week’

Jack Moore, 34

Motor mechanic, workshop manager

“What could be more satisfying than feeling gratitude for gratitude?”

The Potentialife programme aims to help participants lead a more productive, creative and energetic life, with a clearer sense of purpose. These are big claims but the goal is to achieve this through implementing small changes in your day to day life.

After logging a week’s worth of activities, hopefully a week that is representative of your life in general, the programme begins by focusing on personal strengths. Feeling gratitude for those strengths. According to the test my main two strengths were judgement and gratitude. I chose to focus on the latter, what could be more satisfying than feeling gratitude for gratitude?

The biggest surprise for me was when it came to health. Considering myself to be reasonably active I was surprised to see the lack of physical activity in my week. Again the focus was on small changes, adding a few short walks and a swim into my week changed the picture completely.

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The life map data on relationships really highlighted the contrast between my personal and professional life, emphasising the need for positivity and authenticity. Making an effort to improve relations, with this in mind, has had surprisingly positive results almost immediately with little or no effort.

There have been times throughout the course where I haven’t fully engaged in the weeks exercises for one reason or another, sometimes I blink and the week is over. But I get the sense that this is OK and whatever changes I can make will have lasting benefits. The life map can also throw up some interesting results, a birthday party I attended on Saturday night of the first week keeps resurfacing as the time when I was most engaged and energised, most in flow, committed and using my strengths to the full.

As the first cycle draws to a close I think it’s given me a wider perspective on the various elements of happiness, success and leadership. I can see myself returning to some of the exercises after the programme has finished and applying them again from a different career position. In the mean time I’ll play to my strengths.

The Be Your Best programme sponsored by The Irish Times is being delivered by Potentialife, a nine-month leadership development programme that incorporates the latest in technology and behavioural science. See more at www.Potentialife.com