The reality is that change is constant and that is true in business as it is in life. The pace of change is also increasing due to a variety of new technologies and forces such as climate change, globalisation and the pandemic. In order to keep up with change, or even lead change, we need to keep learning and to innovate. To innovate we need an environment where experimentation thrives. An environment where trying and failing is welcomed rather than punished.
The name of the website ‘Life is a Laboratory’ reflects my view that we constantly need to experiment, try stuff out in the real world, be curious, brave and imaginative, embrace change and keep learning throughout our lives. Learning is not just for school and college but always. Doing experiments in the laboratory of life is sometimes the only way that we can figure out how the real world works.
Website topics
The variety of posts and topics on this website reflect my varied interests and life-long learning and how these have changed and evolved over the past ten years of this website as I keep learning and changing. The world is constantly changing too so the choice is a stark one – change and grow or stagnate! You will find articles on the site related to psychology and personal development, futures thinking and goal setting, action research and design thinking.
Books & courses
In 2018 I started a new exciting journey by publishing my first online course. Up to that point I had just published books and an audio book. I now have nine online courses and intend to publish many more! My goal for 2023 is to publish 4 new courses. I love creating books and courses and using the wonderful technical tools we have at our disposal today to reach out and help others. In fact my Ikigai (Life’s purpose) is:
“to spread understanding in the world by creating high quality, in-demand learning materials/courses on personal growth, technology/futurology/future of work & beekeeping”
If you want to learn more about what an Ikigai is and how to identify yours, please check out my course on goal setting.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I am an ardent believer in never standing still and continuous learning. Curiosity, prototyping and testing, continuous learning and embracing and celebrating change are key skills and attributes needed for the 4th industrial revolution.
You can keep in touch through our page on Facebook. You can also sign up for the free newsletter. All those who subscribe to the newsletter will receive a link to the Free e-book on goal setting.
About Me
Hi, I’m Tom Carroll and welcome again to my website. I am married with three children and currently live near Ballybrittas, Co. Laois in the midlands of Ireland. Previous to that I had lived and worked in East Africa for 15 years.
I have varied passions in life and am always ready to add more! I have an enduring interest in business and entrepreneurship. I greatly admire people with an entrepreneurial streak who are free, creative and have an independent spirit. I am also keenly interested in technology and how we can harness new technologies to learn and grow, build better businesses and generally enhance our lives. I am also specialised in futures thinking and how the 4th Industrial Revolution and other drivers of change will impact the future of work in this increasingly unpredictable world. I teach two courses on this – An Introduction to Futures Thinking and Future Skills 2030.
On a personal level I grew up in the countryside and I love our natural environment and have a particular passion for beekeeping as a wonderful hobby. I teach three online courses and have written two books on beekeeping. It makes me sad and angry that one third of our bee species in Ireland are threatened with extinction. Unfortunately this decline in bees and damage to our beautiful environment is happening right across the world. I also love gardening – growing flowers and vegetables and producing delicious home grown food.
Last but not least I have an enduring passion for personal development and psychology. Many of the posts on this site are personal development related. This is not unrelated to Future Skills needed for the 4th Industrial Revolution because soft skills are more important than ever. I teach two courses on personal development – one on goal setting and the other on personal change.
My Qualifications
I hold a Doctorate of Philosophy Degree (PhD) from University College Dublin (UCD), a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from Stirling University in Scotland and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Resource Management (UCD). I have qualifications in life coaching and hypnotherapy. I also positively embrace life-long learning (as I teach students on my courses!) and I am continuously upgrading my digital literacy skills and my knowledge on technology related areas such as Industry 4.0, cyber-security, digital manufacturing and design and futures thinking.
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Thank you and best of luck with all your 2024 goals!
Tom Carroll, PhD