Well, 2010 is off to a great start!  Looking back, 2009 proved to be a fulfilling year for the members of The Faurote Group, in more ways than one.  I, especially, can say that it was the best year yet for my family as we welcomed Luke Jackson Turner into the world.  The phrase, "seeing life through the eyes of a child," has never held as much meaning as it does now.

The Faurote Group held our first public seminar in the Indianapolis area in December which was well received.  We hope to do more public events going forward to support both current and future client needs.

Please keep in mind, as your year kicks into high gear, that we always welcome updates from those we have met over the years and we wish you all the best in 2010!

How Full Is Your Bucket?

It’s hard to believe 2010 is well underway and yet we are not too far removed from that customary time when everyone sets resolutions and plans to reinvent themselves and better their lives for the coming year. It got me thinking about the answer to the question “What are the top resolutions for most people each year?” If you do a Google search you will find the following four themes to be most prevalent:

1. Better your health
2. Focus on family
3. Improve finances
4. Learn something new

Look further and you’ll find that 45% of people make one or more resolution and, contrary to popular belief, 75% keep their resolve past the first week. It’s not hard to guess why these are the most common or why we are so intent on trying to accomplish them. If achieved, each has the potential to positively and significantly impact your outlook on life. Isn’t that why we set resolutions…to feel better?

The question is, how do we make it happen? What are the ways for us to feel better? And while we are at it, wouldn’t it be nice if our approach could achieve a majority of our resolutions. In answering this question for myself, it made me recall a book I read a few years ago titled How Full Is Your Bucket?  by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton. It’s a wonderful short read on how to create “positive strategies for work and life.” The overriding theme talks about how each of us has an invisible bucket and it is constantly being emptied or filled by the interactions we have with others. Simple logic tells us that when our bucket is full we feel great and when it is empty we feel awful. The same goes for our friends, family, and colleagues. When we give to their buckets, we are helping them feel important, but when we take away from their buckets we do just the opposite. Included in the book is a series of water drop shaped notes that you can use to provide words of recognition or encouragement to those in your life. The goal is to contribute positively to others creating an environment where you and those around you feel happier. Both scientific and anecdotal evidence would say that feeling happier leads to better health, a more fulfilling family, easier decision making with finances, and an open environment to learn new things every day.

The good news is, we get to decide whether we want to be a giver or a taker. We can fill someone’s bucket or we can dip from it. Just be careful what you choose as this choice is one that can profoundly impact relationships, productivity, health and ultimately happiness. 

Speaking from personal experience in being both a giver and receiver of positive drops into buckets, it is evident that simple things such as receiving a note of encouragement can achieve unlimited positive results. I would highly recommend the book and encourage you to visit the website set up for idea sharing on how to apply the concept. Whether you are a manager who wants to have happier, more productive employees, or a spouse/significant other/parent who wants to have a better home environment, give it a shot!

The website is www.bucketbook.com and some of my favorite resources that you’ll find there include:

• A Positive Impact Test to assess your own bucket filling score
• A place to create, print, order, and send e-mail drops to others
• A way to set up bucket filling e-mail reminders so you can sustain the effort throughout the year and into the future

Tom Rath's How Full Is Your Bucket? is also available in a kid's version.  We have added the link for How Full Is Your Bucket? for Kids as well.  Enjoy!