Back in August, I went to my first TEDxMelbourne event as a photographer and also a volunteer who loves the TED brand. What do I love about it? Well, I’m still learning about that as I go, but the notion of having “ideas worth spreading” is just so simple and yet so powerful.

The “Future Leadership” event was geared toward anyone who wants to make a difference in their community, in their area of expertise, in their sphere of influence and in their own lives. And to be honest, after being to a number of conferences, this particular one is probably the most inspiring and challenging one I’ve been to so far.

Okay, I’m not actually going to review the whole thing, because that’s been done and it’s here. I’m going to talk about my favourite talk from that event by a 17 year old Catherine Moolenschot. She spoke about her life changing experience when she decided to embark on a journey to fill up her funnel of greatness. Huh? What funnel? Watch here, it’s worth 20 minutes of your time:

Hopefully you did watch that. But if not, here’s a short summary… (Ain’t I nice. Although, the truth is, I need to explain this to you, else nothing I write below will make sense.)

The definition of funnel of greatness, as explained by Catherine (not exact quote), is something like this:

“The concept of the funnel of greatness is basically our five senses – like a funnel – come into contact with so much on a daily basis that flows into us and affects us: our mindset, our beliefs, our mindset, how we view and see the world and therefore what we do in this world. Whether we manifest mediocrity or greatness are dependent on whether we are pouring in mediocrity or greatness into our funnel.”

Simple, isn’t it? What we learn, we churn out. The more crap you have in your head, the more likely you are to produce crap. That’s why some artists would travel somewhere to find inspiration in the beauty of nature and the wonder of things. Or here’s another analogy… What goes out of our system is dependent on what we eat. That’s probably why people keep telling me to “eat healthy” (I’m working on that).

That got me thinking: what am I putting in to my funnel of greatness? I’m not going to go crazy and only put in great stuff. I mean, I’m sure there’s still merit in watching Big Brother or X Factor! But I guess the idea is, the lesser greatness I put in also means that the lesser greatness I can expect to come out of me.

Catherine, in the video, also pointed out that there needs to be a balance in everything, so the key is to have everything in moderation! I’m not going to go all: “OMG, everyone should do this – and only this – right now, else you’re wasting your life away.” But I will encourage you to think and decide if you want greatness or mediocrity in your life. I’m challenging myself to do the same.

So, what am I doing about this? An idea or an inspiration is just that. I want to execute what I’ve learnt, to get out of my comfort zone a little bit, to try and fill my funnel with a little more greatness and a little (just a little) less mediocrity. Next year, I’m going to do some of these things (not an exhaustive list – and no promises here also!):

  • Blog more often.
  • Read one good book every month. Attempt to finish 12 books by the end of 2013.
  • Create a couple of mini projects to get myself thinking more creatively, or even just for fun.
  • Learn topics that interest me. Study something. Enrol in a short course or higher education.
  • Go out a bit more. Take in cues from the world around me. Take more photos.
  • Think about who I am and what I want to achieve. Personal branding, or whatever you call it.
  • Find a community (online, or preferably offline) where I can contribute and learn and network.
  • Continue to read the Bible and write down my findings. Aim to finish by the end of next year.

I know it’s a little early for new year resolutions, but hey, December is always a busy period to take time and reflect on things. It’s good to start reflecting and taking actions early.

Are you filling up your funnel with greatness or mediocrity? Will you do anything differently next year? Write some of your thoughts below, I’d love to hear!