Our research methods

1. We set out to discover how someone could learn to enjoy life and to be good at things at one and the same time.

2. We wrote to well-known individuals and invited them to contribute on account of what they had already achieved in their own professional lives.

3. We also wrote to institutions that were widely recognised as 'leaders in their field' and we asked them to pass on our invitation to those individuals within their organisation whom they regarded as outstanding.

4. What followed was a one to one, face to face conversation with these selected individuals. In the secondary schools, colleges and companies, we also had focus-group discussions involving 4 or 5 people.

5. Sometimes the conversation was cut short by outside pressures, but most often an hour-long interview stretched to 90 minutes or two hours. To allow the frankest possible discussion, it was agreed that no quote would be attributed as being said by any particular individual.

6. After the interviews and focus groups, the secondary schools, college students and young professionals, were then invited to take away a detailed questionnaire with some very personal questions. The questionnaire was returned to the charity in its prepaid envelope, and this anonymous procedure allowed contributors to be very forthright about their life-experiences.

7. All of the material gathered was then considered by Dr Nick Baylis, assisted by Dr Sarah Fitzharding, and quotes were selected for inclusion in this report.