Martin Johnson - I Am Human: 30 Mistakes To Success

Published by The Big Ideas Library 2017

Copyright Martin Johnson, 2017

Martin Johnson has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved.

This book is sold or supplied subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise:

a) be reproduced or copied in whole or in part and in any form or by any means without the publishers consent; or

b) be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent acquirer.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

First published in the United Kingdom in 2017

by The Big Ideas Library.

The Big Ideas Library

20 Fountayne Street, York YO31

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-9929859-8-1
eBook ISBN 978-1-9123178-6-8

Edited by Jacky Fitt

Typeset by Ned Hoste

Printed by CPI Group (UK)

The Big Ideas Library is the publishing division of The Big Ideas Collective Ltd.

For Lucy

You have had the single greatest impact on my life. I will be forever grateful and will love you always.

Love Martin xx

For Isabel, Nyla and Zander

When you dont have the answers to some of lifes questions, read this book and Ill be with you. There is a light that never goes out.

Love Dad xx

Have you met Martin? Youd remember if you had. Martin is a force of nature.

This book is what happens when that energy is channelled into a passion to help people.

Born out of his instinctive curiosity to analyse and understand his own and others behaviour, driven and shaped by frustration, disappointment and success, I Am Human is Martins story. Mistake by mistake. Its also mine, and youll recognise much of yourself in it too. Its our story because were all human and, to a greater or lesser degree, weve all been there. Knowing ourselves better is the only way were going to help ourselves and its the key to Martins approach.

Answering the question of why some people are able to lead contented and productive lives while others, just as able, are not, Martin begins with insight into our mental machinery and moves on to sound, practical, head-slapping staring-us-in-the-face truths and advice. Honest, intelligent and fun - sometimes a cautionary tale, sometimes a timely reminder, a kick up the bum, a light bulb moment.

Arm yourself with the Show Home Principle; grab your tennis ball; drop the glass; learn about the amazing properties of bamboo and why it is that the racing driver and the heart surgeon lose the plot around Snow White.

Working with Martin on the text was intense, hilarious and hugely illuminating, and his passion for unlocking peoples potential completely infectious. So, read on Be open and honest with yourself: you already have all the tools you need to achieve what you want, Martin can show you how to use them.

Its time to get better at being human.

Jacky Fitt FRSA

Editor, I Am Human 30 Mistakes To Success and award-winning author of How to Get Inside Someones Mind and Stay There.

You may believe in philosophical, political or religious ideologies as the route to a successful and fulfilled life. You may put your faith in science and technology to deliver our future prosperity. Yet, regardless of all our beliefs, there is one undeniable truth that connects us all

Were all human and we rely on other humans in order to survive and thrive.

If we are to live happy, content and productive lives then first we must understand the significance and importance of our own self-fulfilment. This comes with self-awareness, knowledge and the forming of positive habits and behaviours. At its core, self-fulfilment starts with a better understanding of ourselves as unique individuals - as human beings. Only through this self-knowledge can we hope to become the best version of ourselves, enabling us to unlock our potential and, with it the ability to live a happy life. Whether we are building a business, raising a family or just trying to work out where to go next, knowledge and self-awareness are crucial.

Having interviewed, coached and worked with many thousands of people, I have identified the top 30 mistakes that we, as humans, all make and which impact our ability to truly fulfil our potential. When I say mistakes, I mean the opportunities, strategies or learning that we have either missed, misused or misinterpreted, leading to varying degrees of toxic personal behaviour which hamper our relationships, hinder our productivity and hold us back. I speak from experience, having made just about all of them myself, and I see others struggling with these same issues every day. The good news is that by the time you have finished this book you will be in possession of all the tools you need to understand where personal self-fulfilment comes from, how we can turn our unique abilities to any goal we set and achieve the success were looking for.

Transcending our apparent limits is what makes us unique.

Stephen Hawking

So, lets get started, but, before we can look at techniques around achieving personal success, its very important to get to know ourselves a lot better. The first three chapters of this book are crucial to your personal development. From which well build a world of exciting possibilities. Buckle up. Were going in

The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above the water.

Sigmund Freud

Early on in my career, Freuds ideas around human brain function struck a chord with me about how human beings cope with life and work: how we externalise ourselves and behave towards each other is just a fraction of what is really going on in our minds. To find a route to greater productivity, contentment and success, we have to think of ourselves as human icebergs and dive down to look at whats happening below the waterline. Its here where we can start to work out why we think, feel, act and behave in the way that we do. I believe that without understanding more about ourselves, trying to alter our habits is nigh on impossible; ultimately, our lives will not change and the success we want will remain a frustrating pipe dream unless we can work on whats really happening at a deeper level.

First, lets get back to basics and look at what we humans are primordially programmed to do. Inherited from our primitive cave dwelling ancestors, our species has three basic functions:

Survival - To stay alive and survive

Reproduction - To find a mate and reproduce

Purpose - To have a role, a sense of belonging and contribution

Now, clearly, survival is top of the list, closely followed by reproduction and the continuation of the species, and finally, we humans tend to thrive when we have a role, a sense of belonging. We are social creatures and we need a purpose. As the first two functions have become less time-consuming and dangerous, our purpose has, and will become, ever more important to our wellbeing. So lets begin with the first of our 30 mistakes or, more accurately perhaps, our misconceptions and missed opportunities. Its one of the most important.