Imagine yourself deep in the Alaskan bush. You’re on an outdoor coaching adventure and the days are long and dark… and it’s cold… really cold…
But you’re bundled up to the max, you’ve got a crackling fire at your feet and the thrill of the chase is still fresh in your mind. You hear the snap, crackle, pop of sizzling grease and the smell of fire-roasted Moose steak fills the air. It’s been on long enough, it should be ready…
Baring your knife you take off a slice. And with bated breath, you sink your teeth into tender and juicy perfection you may never taste again… and the chill of the Alaskan winter and the weariness of the day fades — hold on.
I’m getting ahead of myself.
I got an email this morning, (and you can probably guess I’m not a huge fan of email), but I check it for you… so I don’t mind.
Anyway, this particular email was entitled: “outdoor coaching…? what the hell??”
I was instantly intrigued, I’m generally not a fan of email but this one triggered something in me and I just had to open it.
Long story short, it was a young kid out in Tennessee who wanted to know “what the hell” all this outdoor coaching stuff was all about. A scatter-brained entrepreneur-type… never set foot outside of suburbia.
“Is it like coaching? But… outdoors?” he asked.
Yes, kid. It’s like coaching. But outdoors.
But you know what? That little question got me thinking…
And hanging out in Alaska these past few weeks has got me thinking even more… (as it always does)… and I realized that most of what I share with you is high-level, big picture stuff… I always cut the juicy details because of time constraints.
But no more!
This post is special, cause it’s all about the details…
Paint the picture of your outdoor coaching adventure
Want a glimpse of what your outdoor coaching adventure could look like?
Here’s a taste:
You might be crawling on your belly sneaking up on a couple of Caribou in the Alaskan range.
Perhaps you’ll find yourself paddling through frigid waters in a sea kayak within eyeshot of breathtaking icebergs or standing alongside a babbling brook brimming with wildlife, fly fishing rod in hand.
Or maybe you’ll be huddled around a campfire taking shelter from heavy rain under a white spruce tree as you eagerly await your cut of moose steak, or traversing a mountain ridge where the air is cold and crisp.
You may hike along a rarely frequented trail in patient silence or cover miles and miles of wilderness on horseback.
You could spend your nights in the open air under the stars, or gaze lovingly at the nylon tent roof that keeps out the storm.
You’ll appreciate the simple things. I guarantee you’ll never enjoy a cup of coffee or a bowl of oatmeal as much as you will on one of these outdoor coaching adventures…
But what’s the point of all this?
Outdoor coaching is designed to produce internal growth and mastery
The details of these adventures are more important than just spurring pleasant daydreams.
I call them “anchors.”
They anchor the most important aspect of any of my backcountry adventures…
Which is…
The exploration of your internal landscape.
While you explore a new environment, far from your typical hum-drum, soul-sucking day-to-day monotony…
Away from the petty distractions of modern entertainment or the endless flow of “urgent” and “pressing” concerns at work that are neither urgent nor pressing.
Far away from anything that keeps you locked in, unable to grow, excel or get your life to where you want it to be.
You need to break the vicious cycle of relentless routine… you need to leave it all behind (for a bit), so that you can rediscover everything you are and everything you want within yourself.
This internal and life-changing journey will be anchored to the incredible and unforgettable memories you’ll make on a leadership adventure.
It’s the best way to discover your inner truth, create a plan to make it a reality and carry it with you for the rest of your life, anchored to the unforgettable details of a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Does that sound like something you want? Sign up for outdoor coaching with me and choose your adventure today.
One Response
Mike, I wanted to say “congratulations” on the book. Good for you! I know how hard it was for me and I hope it was easier for you, and that you feel good about it in a “mission accomplished” sort of way. I ended up feeling a lot of not enough-ness mixed with a little imposter syndrome when I finally released it; didn’t give myself much of a break for what I didn’t cover, or write about or consider when I wrote it.
I thought your book was really personal and that you put yourself fully in the story in ways that humanized it and made it easy to keep turning pages. You connect your life and coaching experiences nicely, so people get a real sense of what matters to you – or so I thought.
I hope the book’s release is giving you what you had hoped for and that life is good for you and your family. Best to you!