Watt Nicoll wants to make my dreams come true. What's more, he thinks the power to do so lies entirely within my own hands.
 He says that in today's work-driven and fast-paced society, inner health and wellbeing are constantly side-tracked. Survival becomes paramount and our past dreams and goals and the passion we once for felt them, are often left behind. A world-renowned motivational speaker and advice guru, Watt promises the power to make you realise your dreams and fulfil your potential. In the past he has given advice to many celebrities and football stars including Kevin Keegan, Alan Shearer and, three years ago, the England football team (which caused a few furrowed brows in his native Scotland). Watt agreed to give me a personal session before an engagement at St James's Park, Newcastle, but could the former folk singer help me rediscover my passions? Wearing a bow tie and smart suit, Watt Nicoll could pass for formal were it not for the baseball cap. It puts me instantly at my ease and reminds me of my dad. He won't go anywhere without his cap; he says it stops the heat escaping. He immediately jokes about the Everton badge on his coat, saying he had better remove it before the photographer takes any pictures, or he may not be able to show his face in Newcastle again. Straight away, he bewilders the photographer by giving his name as Watt Nicol MP. "Motivated person," he says, "not Member of Parliament." So what advice can he can give to get me motivated and help me achieve my dreams? "Always ask yourself why you want a particular thing, and be sure it is for the right reasons," he says. "You have to be honest with yourself about what can be achieved, and about your own situation. Accept that it is your own choices that have bought you to where you are and do not make excuses." I stop him in mid-flow and ask if he has ever suffered moments of self doubt or depression. He shakes his head and says: "Every time I meet someone with something I want that I haven't got, I just think to myself it is because they wanted it more than me." Watt warns that the moment you decide to go for a goal you will experience "temporary madness". "One side of your brain is telling you that you can't do this, the odds are against you, while the other side - your imagination - is running free with ideas and thoughts of how to achieve your goal. You must always listen to your imagination, never let go of your goal." I'm still trying to figure this out in my own head when Watt starts handing out more advice. He says it is through sport, dress and music that most people, especially the young, find enjoyment. Where there is enjoyment, Watt points out, there will most certainly be success. He observes that you can always find the energy to do something you enjoy rather than something you do not. As an example, he points to the ground staff preparing the St James's Park pitch for that weekend's encounter. "If you asked someone to cut the grass, they might say, 'no way', but asking someone to cut the grass at St James's Park is a different matter. You must want with a passion. In fact, it is not enough just to want, you have to need what you are striving for." But Watt is not someone for quick fixes and he admits that the road to success is never easy. "The first step is commitment, the last step is achievement," he says. "You have to break down your ultimate goal, so it becomes more achievable, aim to do something towards it each day, but always be sure in the end that you will get it." Alan Shearer experienced Watt's brand of motivational magic, four years ago. He was England captain and manager Kevin Keegan invited Watt to talk to the squad before his first game in charge against Poland. And, did the team win after Watt's chat? "Alan Shearer played like a man inspired," he says. "Yes, they did win." Watt Nicoll is no stranger to the North-East. He knows it well from his time as a folk-singer in the days when his support band was The Humblebums - a duo made up of Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly. He gets great enjoyment out of seeing how the region - and Tyneside in particular - has been transformed and regenerated itself. It's a message he takes far and wide and one that he can adapt to a personal level. "You speak of successful people as being one in a million," he says. "My aim in my motivational talks is to create another million successful people." The Watt Nicoll message is no more complicated than: "Fulfil your potential." But contained in those three words may be a lifetime of frustration, hangups and "lost" opportunities. At the moment, for instance, he is part of a panel advising the once-popular seaside town of Bridlington to escape from the doldrums. People's ideas of a holiday have changed - Bridlington hasn't, therefore, the once-thriving area is very quiet and falling into neglect. There are those who want to sit tight and wait for the country's mood to change and for the "kiss-me-quickers" to flock back. "There are people there who are resisting change," says Watt. "But there were people in the North-East who resisted change, too. You've got to look ahead. The North-East is an example to the rest of the country - it's not just about buildings, it's about people. "It was George Bernard Shaw who said, 'Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people'." He roars with laughter (possibly all the more for being able to remember the quote in the first place), but the message is serious. "I'd love to talk to the people in the North-East who were resistant to the changes," he says. "The people who are prepared to put their hands up and say they were wrong, but now say, 'look at us now'. "In fairness, Dublin has done a very similar thing in its very traditional areas. It's the Celtic Tiger - they've caught it and they've got it in a cage; it's what to do next with it that'll mean something has been achieved. "Never forget, the dream must always be greater than the memory. Dublin's is a progressive dream, it has plateaued a little now, but they must keep it going." In the world of football, Watt and his son, Kerr (featured in last month's Enterprise North East), have worked with Everton FC, Fulham FC and the Scottish Fotball Association, as well as the English FA. His advice to Everton last year was to sell starlet, Wayne Rooney. Controversial, unbelievable, but to Watt's mind, common sense. He could gauge the low level of confidence in some senior "big fish" players and realised that teamwork had been affected to such an extent by having an even bigger fish around that the club was sinking and manager, David Moyes, was tipped to be shown the door. Rooney was sold to Manchester United, Everton's fortunes took a dramatic u-turn and Moyes' jacket is no longer on a "shakey nail". Watt's regard for the North-East, through the welcome he always received here and his admiration for its physical and cultural regeneration, should soon be translated into something more tangible. The favour will be returned. "The North-East has transformed itself; it's a great example," he says. "I've been going back and forward there for most of my life. It had a very active folk scene and I played with the likes of Johnny Handle and Ray Fisher - Hepscott in Northumberland, I recall, was a great wee folk club. "Now, one of the things I'm involved with is a five-day seminar taking in some of the great cities of Europe and I have actually put forward the proposal that we don't do London alongside Paris and Rome, but do Newcastle instead." Watt then reinforces the simple motivational message, but adds some extra advice. "Achieve maximum performance," he says. "Increase your energy and effectiveness. Fulfil your potential." * For further information, visit: www.wattnicoll.com | 
