What Happened In The Woods...
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We just got back from our Land excursion with our Strategic Training Group Members, and I thought it would be important, useful and worthwhile for everyone to work the "Post Excursion Assignment.”
What is an Excursion and Why go?
Ex-cur-sion: A deviation from a regular pattern, path, or level of operation that leverages flow states to help you return to the effective and authentic mindsets, practices, intuitions and ways of being that allow you to operate at your highest and most joyous level as an individual and as part of a team.
Without maintaining a rhythm of "Excurting" a build up occurs making us sluggish, unresponsive and even unpleasant.
This build up causes fatigue and a loss of perspective as our heads drop low to endure the weight of a life of grind and hustle.
5 Reasons to "Excurt"
As a SEAL you're constantly on excursions. Some are to fight wars before they start, some of them are to fight once they are on their way. But most of them are to train, I'm talking like 99% of them. And believe it or not, some are to just hang and form a band between the brothers you are roaming the earth with.
I remember that time in my life being very "High Speed, Low Drag". Things were in focus and I lived life with a sort of peaceful power. I was on step and on purpose. It'd be years after I left the teams before I succumbed to the typical masculine model of "Low speed, High Drag" and just feeling as if the world kept attaching more and more to me leaving me flat and uninspired to be great.
It was that breakdown that had me add SEa-Air-Land (SEAL) excursions as part of the Strategic and Masters training groups. These excursions are as much for myself and my team as they are for the members that go with us because of FIVE particular reasons.
FIRST: Most of us were bred to explore the land so that we can capture or kill what was required for our family to survive. If you don't step away from that desk or abandon that cubicle, or shatter those screens periodically you'll suffer and try to ease that pain with alcohol, drugs, TV or the internet.
SECOND: It strikes right at the heart of the most fundamental skill any ambitious adult requires to live what they say is a good life. The ability to fulfill INTENTIONS.
THIRD: Because of the FLOW producing nature of excursions they are extremely effective in resetting and realigning us with our true self and ambition.
FOURTH: There's a sort of wash of ESSENTIALISM that occurs, which sheds a lot of the meaningless, joy sucking and overall suffocating "life trash" that has attached itself to us.
FIFTH: It's where real TRIBES are. I'm not saying it's the only place, but I know of no other place where you can go through meaningful experiences with others who share commitments to all 4 ambitions: Lifestyle, financial, career and business.
“You cannot be made better than you are if you choose to live your life with those who would settle for less.”
“You cannot fulfill your purpose in life if you choose to live your life with those without one.”
So whether you're doing excursions with me and our tribe, or you are doing them on your own, this is how you produce the kinds of returns that will impact all areas of your life, to include the ability and desire to Excurt again.
See the excursion assignment below that I send to all my active members after each excursion we go on. But the point is: this can be used for ANY excursion you go on at any time.
Post Excursion Assignment
Intentions:
Most experiences produce little to no return on the time, energy, creativity and currency. A bunch of power goes into the planning & preparation and then even more power goes into participating. Often experiences take more than they give.
What's counterintuitive is that this phenomenon has little to do with the experience itself and everything to do with:
1) how clear and meaningful our intentions are and
2) our skill in fulfilling our intentions.
Regardless of how intentional or skilled you were going into the last excursion the opportunity not only still exists to fulfill your intentions it's actually the best time to do so because an excursion only ends when you step off the path it reset you to.
What I mean by that is that when we let go, and detach ourselves from the build up of inauthentic and ineffective mindsets and practices we tend to return to our natural and most productive state of being. Our real selves.
ULTIMATE INTENTIONS of surviving, adapting to change and generating the kind of wealth that allows you to live what you say is a good life.
STRATEGIC INTENTIONS of executing the fundamental strategy so that you move in the precise order that will allow you to move in an effective and efficient way.
TACTICAL FOCUSES of fully participating in each part of the excursion so that you can fulfill the specific tactical intentions you came into the excursion with - tribe building, flow, detaching, having fun - in a way that protects and progresses your strategic intentions of fulfilling your next step of the strategy so you can progress towards the fulfillment of your ultimate intentions in a meaningful and pleasurable way.
Setting and fulfilling intentions is the “Ultimate Skill” you’re learning in this program and excursions are a highly effective way to accelerate that skill.
Now. Use the questions below to fulfill and maintain your intentions for the excursion.
** INTENTIONS **
Constitute your TACTICAL INTENTIONS for the excursion.
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What would life look like if you didn't fulfill them?
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What will life look like when they are fulfilled?
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What STRATEGIC CAREER INTENTION(S) will your tactical intentions produce?
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How does that strategic career intention help you fulfill your ULTIMATE INTENTION of surviving, adapting to change and generating the levels of wealth that will allow you to live what you say is a good life?
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What actions will you implement to ensure that your intentions are fulfilled?
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What Ethics of Power will you hold to maintain them?
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** FLOW STATES **
What WAS your mood about the excursion prior to it?
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What IS your mood about the excursion now that you're back?
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List and describe the times you remember being in flow during the excursion.
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Flow states become a skill that is transferable from one domain of activity to another. How will you leverage the flow states experienced on the excursion in your personal and professional life?
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** ESSENTIALISIM **
Often when we are engaged in worthless experiences we no longer need or want superfluous crap to bring joy to our life.
Make a list of what you actually USED during the excursion.
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Make a list of what you brought but did NOT USE during the excursion.
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Make a list of what you will ALWAYS bring with you on excursions?
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What in life and business will you now STOP lugging around with you?
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What in life and business will you now START making sure you always have with you?
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** TRIBES **
Describe the kind of "Tribe" you typically spend your time with.
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Describe the kind of "Tribe" that was with you on the excursion.
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Which will best help you fulfill your life, financial, career and business ambitions?
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What actions will you now be to build up your tribe?
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What do each of these quotes mean to you now?
"You cannot be made better than you are if you choose to live your life with those who would settle for less.” - Erwin McManus
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"You cannot fulfill your purpose in life if you choose to live your life with those without one." Eric Davis
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Comment, Like and Share this paper with members of your tribe. Please feel free to share your responses below.
Eric
