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March 4, 2016 at 9:24 am #18954
The highlights of my journey on this Great eCourse Adventure
March 4, 2016 at 9:27 am #18956Checkpoint 1 – Basecamp
Introductions
1. Name: Lorraine Watson (@lorrainewatson)
2. What I Do (150 characters): more of an atypical spiritual guide than a life coach, I’m a dog-with-a-bone-spiritual-cattle-prod-but-kind-nudger to help bring out and ground who you really are
3. Kind of eCourse I’m excited to make (150 characters): Give people the skills to pay attention to what’s appearing, listen to themselves and be full out who they are instead of searching for their passion or what they are supposed to be doing.
5. If you really knew me, you’d know that(150 characters): … I want to have a cat sanctuary and contribute to educating people about the overlooked shy / semi-feral cats, senior cats and cats with chronic illnesses so they can be adopted into furever homes too
Overcoming Fear
What are you letting go of RIGHT NOW to create the space, courage and confidence you need to reach the top of Launch Summit?
Getting everything right and complete before I can start, staying invisible and quiet, fear of no one showing up, putting lower priority things first, believing I don’t have enough time
March 4, 2016 at 11:26 am #18960Checkpoint 2 – Reflection Pond
Intention Setting
1) What are your intentions for the Great eCourse Adventure ahead?
Finally get my program together and OFFER it. I’ve been thinking about it for over a decade, talking about it for a couple of years, and now I’m getting the kick in the pants to get on with it. While I do have a rough image of the course in mind, paying attention to what appears is important to me. I trust in being shown key signposts and nudged into changes of direction as part of the creation process to end up beyond where I can imagine myself.
3) What kind of eCourse are you inspired to create?
Interactive, group based, creates a space, something that is not overly admin intensive
4) What do you want your future eCourse participants to say after going through your course (write out a few customer testimonials you hope to receive one day)?
“Wow, wow, wow. I was so tired of struggling to hold onto something while feeling entirely lost. Life was changing, I was changing, but didn’t know what was going on or how to deal with it. Now I have a sense of direction again. A sense of purpose. Movement. While I’m still not crystal clear on what lays ahead, I know I don’t have to be. I don’t have to keep searching for something because I’m right here. With the tools and frameworks you’ve shown me and the work we’ve done exploring, I have what I need to keep going. I’m excited to keep going and feel like I’m on the right path headed in the right direction. Most of all, I know I’m not alone and ever have to be again.”
“I don’t know how to say thank you enough. I’ve been going in circles for so long I didn’t think I could ever stop. You helped me find the courage to take the steps I’ve been putting off for so long. I was so worried about leaving friends and family behind, and it didn’t help they thought I was crazy for wanting to change up the pretty good life I had. Now because I know myself so much better, I can see that giving myself the time to shine is important. Holding back who I am and how I love to express myself is like chopping off my arm, dulling myself down. I love how I know my signals so much better. They were always there, I just didn’t know they were sending signals to me. What I ignored before I now know to pay attention. When situations come up that use to throw me back into circling, I can feel how differently I react. I don’t get caught up – or at least not as fast. I can’t deny myself anymore. Look out world – I’m here!!”
6) If you could share any message or skills with the world, what would it (or they) be.
Be full out yourself in everything you do; step up, show up and shine being you; Be first, do second; Bring yourself to Life
Your Big Why
1) What is motivating you to climb this mountain and create your eCourse right now?
– practically, to help bring in income and reduce load on BLD
– vocationally, there’s a lot of change going on and more is to come. The intensity of a major shift continues to grow. Where change happened before on the shoulders of one or a few, our way forward is together. We each need to show up to carry our part of the load instead of waiting for someone else to step up. Instead of searching for what we’re supposed to do, the guidance we need comes from understanding who we are and being ourselves.March 4, 2016 at 12:22 pm #18972Checkpoint 3 – Mapora Meadows
The Art of Transformation
1) How are you already facilitating transformations in your life, work or business?
Deep Listening, having conversations, creating a space for others to get vulnerable, seeing others in their highest and holding them in that while they can’t see it for themselves, writings (weekly reflection newsletter), asking deep questions, using my clair-senses for guidance in tapping into deeper levels
2) Brainstorm some creative ways that you can facilitate the transformation you’re intending for your customers, thinking about the Experience
Slow food movement, kitchen table conversations, short opener type exercises, quizzes, –> creating the experience of feeling you can finally let go and tell someone your inner most thoughts, fears, dreams, etc and know you are safe, supported, heard and not crazy
Journey Mapping
Offerings
– raising awareness: pretty much feel I suck at this and is very subject to how much time I feel I have. My weekly reflection newsletter (Letters From Home) is the most consistent form of engagement and I do get very positive feedback on my writings. Social media is pretty much limited to Facebook (personal) with small forays into Twitter.
– free offerings: I currently have two free ebooks/reports – Changing Directions and First Steps. (on my website) Honestly speaking, I haven’t promoted them because they was always a good reason not to.
– what I’d like to offer: group coaching, Begin With Being course, online group chats (like meeting friends for dinner / coffee where we start talking about the deep stuff). This is where I feel focusing on the ecourse and paying attention will open up other offerings
Taking Inventory
2) What are you skilled at or what do you know that could be valuable to others?
Listening, asking probing questions, calling a spade a spade, getting to the core issues, being a safe place to fall, have travelled this path myself, keen BS-detector, big picture thinker, connecting seemingly unrelated things into something that makes B.A.M. sense
4) What do you enjoy? What are you passionate about? What do you love to do?
Where I’m a moth to flame – supporting others in discovering and showing up as who they truly are to make a difference in their world, being a spiritual guide as people navigate the awakening process (making it safe), mulling & pondering, having deep conversations, teaching, generating ideas
March 4, 2016 at 12:42 pm #18991I love this so much Lorraine!
Slow food movement, kitchen table conversations, short opener type exercises, quizzes, –> creating the experience of feeling you can finally let go and tell someone your inner most thoughts, fears, dreams, etc and know you are safe, supported, heard and not crazy
I love the coffee table conversations. It just seems so approachable and real.
March 4, 2016 at 5:51 pm #19012Checkpoint 4 – Arkitect Forest
1) WHAT is the eCourse all about that you’re inspired to create?
Begin With Being – a guided journey back to knowing our true selves and living authentically and full out in everything we do (undergoing morphing)
>> NOTE: update required <<
List of options:
1. Begin With Being
2. Your Word – The Call
3. Being Beyond Gratitude Journal
4. Dreams On A Shelf – what they tell you about you
5. Real Purpose of a Vision Board
6. Listening to the Everyday
7. Journal, Guided Writing, Preparing for the new
8. Living authentically
9. Mindfulness
10. Coming out of the spirituality closet
11. Navigating transitions / change2) Out of all the options, WHY are you most excited to create this eCourse?
Because it’s patiently been waiting for me to create it for about 15 +/- years. 🙂 The original version of the idea was Path Lights??
I’m excited to create this course because I want people who are struggling to figure out what they are supposed to be doing to see life a different way. I want to change the mindset that doing is most important and is active, while being is quiet and still. Let who you are guide the way and bring yourself full out to everything you do.
3) Describe WHO you are creating this eCourse for.
“I help disheartened career minded women reignite what Lights them up inside for a renewed sense of purpose and direction.”
Mid-career (primarily) women who are dissatisfied with their careers and feel there is something more to life. Those going through life transitions such as loss of a partner or becoming an empty-nester would be attracted as well. Essentially they are going through a shift in who they knew themselves to be and now face the unknown of who they want / should be going forward.
– they’re going through a spiritual awakening and not knowing what the heck was going on.
– on the verge of stepping into an entirely new phase of life and just don’t know what the heck it is all about. They want to feel safe stepping forward.4) Describe the TRANSFORMATION or benefits they’ll receive by going through your eCourse.
– more skilled at Listening to your inner voice and paying attention to the messages withing patterns and what’s appearing;
– greater clarity about who you really are, how that impacts what you do and how you live
– feel like standing on solid ground, have a sense of direction instead of feeling lost, have a way to navigate the unknown and make the path clearer
– Reignited with renewed purpose and the courage to live it
– discovering yourself all over again, being able to hear (and believe) the inner calling, perhaps stepping into your vocation.
– the shift from doing things to find happiness, to being happy no matter what you do. There are far more things than happy that we are always being, so the journey is about identifying those aspects of ourselves and always shining that light.Outcomes:
– Have a renewed sense of self and direction
– Ready to exit the closet with the confidence and courage of your true self
– Begin using who you are as the compass guiding what you do
– Know your stories, signs and patterns (good and bad) and how to leverage them or calm them
– Enhanced Listening skills for what is appearing around and within you** this is a different take than normal courses focused on “creating your reality”. This is more about understanding who you are and paying attention to what is appearing in order to access what is beyond imagination … who we are is a magnet for attracting more of what makes us experience ourselves more fully in ways we did not expect or could dream of happening
5) Using your skills and resources, HOW do you intend to facilitate the ultimate transformation?
I’m a teacher / guide / way maker at heart. Key for me is to incorporate three pillars – space, community and self. A safe space to get vulnerable, a community to know you’re not alone and collaborate, and bring forward your unique self expression.
Tools / resources:
I envision a combination of resources:
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live webinars / teleconferences
recorded video lessons
articles
infographics
quizzes
journaling exercises
online conversations / teleconferences
hangouts / skype
word clouds
zen gardens
mandalas
books (eg The Call)Journey over 7 or 8 sessions delivered every second week with a follow up / integrating session. (First and second session likely delivered one week apart, still sussing that out)
Space where you can feel safe, heard, supported and not crazy.
6) If your eCourse was a person, how would you describe its PERSONALITY or VIBES?
Down to earth, functional not fashionable, straight-talk prodder, kind, caring and compassionate without the run-around of foo-foo language
March 4, 2016 at 6:53 pm #19017Checkpoint 5 – Creatora Meadows
Remember:
– keep key path simple, have deep dives as bonuses or extra material
– focus on the student’s experience
– think multi-mediaNaming Your Chapter Titles
1. Write a brief description of each of those milestones.
1) Busy Being You
Establish a starting point for the journey ahead and building group cohesiveness, looking at our thoughts around being and doing
2) Growth Spurts
Exploring growth and change once we’ve become adults
3) Learning To Listen
Bring awareness to observing and Listening to the signals and messages in our inner and outer worlds
4) The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of
Looking at what we wish for to learn more about ourselves
5) Cutting Through The Do-Do
Exploring our passions and patterns for more clues of clarity
6) Inner Whispers
Turning the spotlight onto the whispers and inner prods we can’t quite hear or grab hold of
7) Painting The Picture
Stitching the pieces together to see what larger patterns were always there
8) Traversing The Unknown
Facing fears and foibles head on to lessen their power and skill building for dealing with not knowing
9) The Melding Pot
The follow up, bookending the process after time has passed (2 weeks?) to discuss new insights, questions, etc
Course Theme
Course Idea:
Begin With Being – a guided journey back to knowing our true selves and reigniting what Lights us up inside to live authentically and full out in everything we do
Course Theme:
I’ve been having a bit of a time trying to think of suitable them that would also feel authentic. During my morning routine I was reminded that the space I’ve always wanted to create was that of sitting around the kitchen table having deep conversations after a good meal. Then this morning I reran across an article called “7 Cultural concepts we don’t have in the us”. One from Germany was called – gemütlich described as “A soft chair in a coffee shop might be considered ‘cosy’. But sit in that chair surrounded by close friends and a hot cup of tea, while soft music plays in the background, and that sort of scene is what you’d call gemütlich.” Yes! That’s what feeling I want to create …
AND is also crossed with guided hike in familiar, but unexplored territory … similar to living in the city doing routine things until friends / relatives come for a visit and you take them to new places
AND then crossed with the mind of an early explorer, setting out to map new, uncharted territory and dis-cover what has been there all along
Course Culture:
I’ve always seemed to connect with the left-brained, sciency, techie types that have a quirky, creative humourous side (one part geek, one part sprite as one person described it.) They are open to concepts of spirituality, energy, growth, self-actualization, conscious development, etc but without the woo-woo or foo-foo. Plain and simplicity creates a comforting space and elbow room to explore.
Even though we are engaged in deep conversations on the couch or at the table, the terrain gets tough, more suited for a 4×4 than a Lincoln. Curious to learn, explore and push boundaries brings an awareness of getting vulnerable and uncomfortable will have to happen. Part of the journey. They are at a point of being tired of courses on a shelf, and are ready to really jump into the material.
The visual representations would have the feel of being professional and organized with a flavour of homeyness … as if you’re sitting around the kitchen table, wanted to illustrate something so you draw out an idea on a napkin or scrap piece of paper. (hand drawings, stick men figures, etc)
Find your uniqueness and express the $&!# out of it … I’m pretty low key with a wry / dry sense of humour that doesn’t go for the fan-fare and fluffy stuff. Creating simple and safe spaces are what I’m known for I suppose.
Choosing Your Name
Begin With Being You: An 8 Week Introspection to rediscovering your who-ness. Step fully into what’s next with clarity, purpose and direction.
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This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by
Lorraine Watson.
March 11, 2016 at 6:31 pm #19599Checkpoint 7 – Camp Medias
The world I envision creating is:
– safe, quiet, lots of white / open space,
– places where deep conversations take place
– primarily the kitchen table, with munchies or dinner
– in the living room with a fire
– a quiet local coffee shopThis world is:
– plain, accessible / doable, appeals to the left brain as a measure of familiarity
– a place where you can be yourself, be vulnerable
– not hyped or over the top
– like talking to a best friend, someone who finally gets you– feel at home
– know you’re not crazy, not the only one who thinks the way you do
– safe, relieved
– accepted and heard
– amongst the like-minded
– energized, renewed curiositySeptember 16, 2016 at 5:20 pm #30386Checkpoint 0
Checking back in …
In the great game of Snakes & Ladders: The GEA Version, I was cruising along quite nicely. Suddenly I found myself staring the big, bad snake in the eye just before my feet slipped out from under me and slid all the way back to square 0. (not even 1!)
Currently I’m mucking about clarifying base principles and messages before heading back to base camp again. Fortunately I appear to have left some breadcrumbs along the way so hopefully the ascent will not be a total rework when I get back there.
Lorraine
At least there’s an opportunity to buy some fresh socks, stock up on food and use a real toilet.September 19, 2016 at 6:05 am #30430hahaha Funny, not funny. Love the way you wrote your “Back to the Drawing Board” post Lorraine.
I’m sure in what you have done up to hear and all the next thoughts and experiences you’ve had in the last while, things will piece together quite nicely.
Given that you’ve done basecamp and reflection pond, you may even want to start at the “Mapping” lesson at Mapora Meadows. But you can still head down, use the toilet, grab some snacks and head back on up the mountain.
Excited to sit with you fireside!
October 2, 2016 at 4:31 pm #30613Ha! I love your humor and positive attitude, even in the face of “starting over” (hint: there is no such thing as “backwards”!)
Sometimes we need to go through the motions of creation just to finally find the “right” thing.. And the truth is that you are now FAR better equipped than you were when you started many months ago.
I’m really looking forward to your next iteration.
Care to drop any clues as to exactly what is changing, and this new direction you are headed? (or perhaps thats still a mystery to you)
Also, if you need help fleshing out your new vision, we’d love to facilitate a breakthrough with you on one of our group coaching sessions!
We’re here for ya and happy to call Sherpa Steve over to throw you over his shoulder and grunt his way back up the mountain!
October 3, 2016 at 12:36 pm #30667Glad to see you back hanging out @andyfreist!
Backwards isn’t always a bad thing. Rugby is based on moving backwards to make forward motion in reaching the goal. You’re right about not really starting over at the same spot from where we first began. Or a whole lot of effort has to go into undoing (if that can actually happen) all that happened along the way.
I’m still heading in the same direction with the same course in mind. I needed to go back and test foundational / core principles around my work, messaging, point of view, etc or is was going to reflect in the course.
I may have a couple of topics for group coaching. Problem for the next few weeks is another course overlapping at the same time.
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This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by
Lorraine Watson.
March 13, 2017 at 5:49 pm #35767[Beep Beep Beep]
Back. up. the. truck!
A change in email providers toppled the dominoes all the way back to rethinking my entire website. I’ve had inklings for a couple of months now to theme my website consistent with the world that is evolving via my ecourses. Seems backwards in a way that a course would drive my website. But with each course idea, the world I’m creating is expanding in depth. (I microsecond affinity with how JK Rowling might have felt creating the Harry Potter world.) Redoing the website makes sense. And how opportune I have to look at changing the WP theme because my current one is no longer supported. What trapped me into a particular way of thinking (to work within the boundaries of the theme) were released. I can feel what I’m presenting on the outside coming into realignment, congruency and clarity with the inside. Less struggle. More energy.
Attached the inspiration board and branding guide I spent working on this weekend. The best thing is it pulled me out of Techieland for doing the email switch and back in the creative process of engaging with my peeps.
If you happen upon this, I’d love to hear what words, feelings, impressions you have of the inspiration board. Is the feel / space I’m trying to create being communicated to you?
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.March 14, 2017 at 5:20 am #35791ohhhh, fun Lorraine. I love the inspiration board and branding guide.
The feeling I get is personable, earthy, adventurous, conversational, connected, calm, wise, sweet, caring and strong.
Love the images and tones you’ve selected.
March 14, 2017 at 6:30 am #35802Lorraine,
Quick question – Did you take Lisa Works Branding course??
I see – contemplation; earthy; down to earth; grounded; calm; inspired; spaciousness
Love the colors, they are actually similar to my branding colors (which might be changing along this journey). And the wood texture, awesome. There is a felt sense of ‘cheery’
PS. Where can I find out about your program? Why do I think I read somewhere that you are offering something for teens??
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