Cartoon by Hugh Macleod at www.gapingvoid.com
Does anyone really need reminding that we are facing some heavy, socio-economic challenges on a global scale?
I would lay money that anyone who is keeping up to date with world events will realise that many of the old familiar structures, systems and processes we know, and love to hate, are struggling and failing at an exponential rate.
In terms of education and the young, anyone who's currently dealing with 16 to 18 year olds thinking about what to study for a career for the future is probably struggling to give the best advice. The old job for life is genuinely now a thing of the ancient past.
What advice can we really give when the reality is that none of us have ever been in a world quite like this one before?
As local and global environments change many existing communities and cultures are coming under increasing pressure as a new kind of chaos looms large. New, unseen challenges are emerging all the time.
So... what we need now are new ideas. Ideas that stem from an evolved world view that recognises the diverse, impermanent and yet increasingly connected nature of living, loving and working on this planet in the 21st century.
The good news is that there are people in this world who can help us right now. In fact these people have always existed. They are the individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset. These are the people that make things happen. People driven by a need to acquire and achieve while learning and growing. Hungry for self actualisation at any cost they bring new realities into being and the results of their endeavours often lead to innovations that make life more interesting and in some cases much better, safer and more enjoyable.
We had a chat amongst ourselves at 4D and decided that we could definitely describe ourselves as entrepreneurs. We all have bucked convention and tried to live by our own rules in service of a will to discover the meaning and purpose of existence for ourselves. Regardless of the limits of our own four dimensions we have all adopted the 'act as if' approach to life in a state of positive delusion, believing anything is possible if a person is determined to follow their personal bliss.
So, we thought we might take some time to deconstruct the qualities that we at 4D collectively share as a team, and offer them as an insight into a type of entrepreneurial mind set.
Individually we all...
1. Strive to think creatively before coming up with a solid plan with clearly defined goals.
2. Are prepared to quickly adapt or change that plan if required.
3. Will take on arduous or difficult tasks if necessary.
4. Prefer not to compete, but rather try and take the road less travelled in order to be unique.
5. Treat failure as an opportunity to learn rather than a point at which to give up.
6. Try to remain courageous in the face of adversity.
7. Do something each day, however small, that contributes to our journey towards our goals.
8. Continue to develop our communication skills to the highest levels possible.
9. Try to remain alert, informed and open minded.
10. Maintain a strong personal and professional network of friends and colleagues.
We believe most people have the potential to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. If you are willing.
How many of these do you already have?
What qualities do you think should be added to our list?
Which would you like to develop yourself?
When and how will you start that journey?
How will you know if you're succeeding?
Get in touch, it would be great to hear your ideas.
