Welcome to the February Mission Coach newsletter. 
This month we use a technique to transform your answers to last month’s questions into actions that serve your Mission even though you may not yet (consciously) know what your Mission is! 

One of the many aspects of Mission Coaching I really enjoy is the rapid and continuous evolution of ideas.  This newsletter is a reflection of that evolution - what started out as an article last month has evolved into the “Achieve > Act > Commit” technique you now see below (more about the “back-to-front” title in next month’s newsletter).

We are excited about our first Mission Coach Tele-Seminar on 17th February at 8:30 PM (GMT) with our special guest presenter Rita Bailey.  The topic for the seminar is: “From Mission to Money - Making Your Life’s Purpose Work”.  Find out more about the seminar in the “What’s Happening at Mission Coach” section of this newsletter.

Finally an apology, this newsletter is way too long!  I promise next month’s will be shorter.

This Month’s Article (now Technique!) “Achieve > Act > Commit” (V 2.3)*
A Powerful Technique to Encourage, Inspire and Commit You to Take Action

* Why version numbers on techniques?  Find out in next month’s newsletter (this one is already long enough!)

Quick recap on what we did last month
You answered these questions:
If you were given all the resources you need (e.g. courage, money, time, confidence, skill etc.) for a period of 12 months and you absolutely knew that whatever you attempted to do in that time you would succeed…

1. what would you achieve in one year?
   
2. what resources would you need?

You answered question 1 and noted your 1 Year Achievements (to be truthful I forgot to ask you to write these down but I’m confident you did anyway!)  You then created a symbol which encapsulated the energy of your Achievements.  You honestly answered question 2 and by now you have researched the Resources you believe you need.  If you would like to see last month’s newsletter again it is in the Mission Coach Newsletter Archive.

To make life easier for you (and me) there is a diagram showing the layout of this technique on the Mission Coach Forum, you will find the link to it in the “Preparation” section below.

Please Be Aware - Read This First!
This technique is intended to enable significant positive change. Change (when it happens quickly) can create a temporary feeling of confusion.  Far from being a bad thing confusion is often the prelude to significant positive change. When you have completed the technique do not drive or do anything that may put yourself or other people at risk, give yourself all the time you need to re-adjust and become fully present.  If at any time or for ANY reason you doubt you can safely complete this technique please do not attempt to do so.  These guidelines also apply to anyone who may guide you through the technique.  This technique is shared in the spirit of exploration and Self Leadership, please be sensible and take ownership of your own actions, reactions and achievements!

Outcome for this technique:

• To guide you through and successfully complete a powerful technique enabling you to take a significant Action step towards each of the 1 Year Achievements you identified last month

Allow yourself at least 1 hour to complete this technique the first time you go through it, when you are familiar with it you will be complete in minutes.  You can very effectively guide yourself through but it would be even better to have someone (as open minded as you) to guide you.  The Mission Coach web site has some guidelines for the “Explorer” (the person going through the technique and the “Guide” (the person helping them).  To read the guidelines please click here:
www.mission-coach.co.uk/pages/mission_coach_technique_guidelines.asp

Although the instructions below are specific don’t get hung up on the technicalities - perfectionism will not help you here!  This technique will serve you much better if you approach it with open minded curiosity and the expectation of significant positive change.  There are no “mis-takes” to be made here other than to ignore the “Please Be Aware” notice above.  Please accept any deviation you may take from the technique as written as being guidance from elsewhere – often the greatest (re)discoveries are made by mistake! 

Many of the language patterns and techniques used here originate from the world of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming).  You do not need to know anything about NLP to successfully complete this (in fact it could be an advantage not to) but if you like to find out more about NLP see the links at the bottom of this newsletter (but please do the technique first!).

Preparation for this Technique
Cut 8 sheets of paper (A4 or US Letter size) in half.  Use a separate half sheet to write each of the following words (in large letters):

• “Earth State”
  
• “Empowering State”
  
• “Action State”
  
• Write each of your 1 Year Achievements from question 1 on a separate half sheet of paper.
  
• Write each Resource you identified in question 2 on a separate half sheet of paper.
  
• Leave the remaining half sheets blank, you may need to write on these later.

• Place the “Empowering State” paper on the ground in a clear space
  
• Place the “Earth State” paper in a clear space to the left or right of the Empowering State, leave some space between them
  
• Place your 1 Year Achievements in a semi circular arrangement around the top of the Empowering State
  
• Keep your Resources sheets in your free hand, keep the blank sheets of paper and a pen or pencil within easy reach

The “Achieve > Act > Commit” Technique (Version 2.3)

1. Move into the Earth State (move onto the Earth State paper) and fully experience a time when you felt totally connected with yourself and your surroundings.  Know you can return here to the Earth State and be totally grounded at anytime during this technique.
   
   
2. With your Resources (Resource papers) in your hand move into the Empowering State (move onto the Empowering State paper), bring to mind your symbol, if it is a physical object you can see or hold then see it or hold it, if it is a word repeat it, if it is an image or movie see it clearly now.
   
   
3. Now pay exquisite attention to your body.
   Notice where you are experiencing the energy and pleasurable feeling your symbol brings you.
   Focus your attention on the feeling and notice how it continues to expand, place your hand where you feel it most strongly.
   Notice how the quality of the feeling changes, if it’s warm it may become warmer, if it’s bright it becomes brighter.
   
   
4. Place the Resources you have in your hand around your Empowering State, permit your intuition to guide you as to where each one goes.
   Experience how it feels to have an unlimited supply of all these Resources!
   In this Empowering State choose one of your Achievements.
   
   
5. Give your intuition a voice, a voice you love to hear, know that your intuition uses only this voice to answer this question: 
   ”With unlimited , unlimited , unlimited , unlimited ...  “ what Action can I take and complete in the next 24 hours that w ould be a step towards <1 year Achievement>.”
   Allow your intuition to guide you to discovering this Action, hear it in words and see it in pictures.
   Step forward into your Achievement space bringing this feeling of empowerment these unlimited Resources bring you.
   
   
6. Experience yourself taking this Action towards your Achievement and notice how good you feel as you successfully complete it.
   Pick up the Achievement paper and write on it a few words to describe the Action. If you are tempted to be analytical promise yourself you can analyse everything later – if you still need to.
   
   
7. Repeat 5 and 6 for each of your 1 Year Achievements.
   When you are complete return to the Empowering State.
   
   
8. From this Empowering State again choose one of your Achievements.
   Recall the voice of your intuition, know that your intuition uses only this voice to answer this question:
   ”Do I have all the Resources I truly need right now to complete this action?”
   
   
9. When the answer is “Yes”:
   Pick up the Achievement sheet and next to the words describing the Action write: “I am committed to taking this action within the next 24 hours”.
   Sign the Achievement sheet and write the date.
   
   
10. While the answer is “No”:
    Recall the voice of your intuition, know that your intuition uses only this voice to answer this question:
    “What am I missing here?”
    Your intuition is the source of perfect love, faith and unlimited creativity - what is missing will be something you already have right now and have yet to remember.
    The answer your intuition gives you may take you by surprise!
    Whatever the answer is write it exactly as it comes and put this Resource around your Empowering State with the other Resources.
    If you need to, repeat 5 and 6 now including your rediscovered Resource(s)
    
    
11. When you are complete you will have each of your 1 Year Achievements with an Action you are committed to taking within the next 24 hours.
    
    
12. If you would like to explore further:
    Experiment with different timescales for different Achievements (e.g. change 24 hours to 3 days, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months etc.) be creative, be flexible!
    
    
13. Step into the “Earth State”, take all the time you need to become fully present and return to your present surroundings.

End of “Achieve > Act > Commit” Technique.

If there is something you would like to ask or say about this technique, feel free to post your question or comment on the Mission Coach Forum (see the link at the bottom of this newsletter).

Next month we will explore how this technique is just one way of rediscovering your Mission and take a look at some other ways too.

This Month’s Tool Review

This month we review the book “Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow : Discovering Your Right Livelihood” by Marsha Sinetar, Published by Dell Publishing, ISBN 0-440-50160-1, 209 pages. Price on Amazon £7.69 (see the links at the bottom of this newsletter).

I cannot think of a better title for a “Mission Coaching Manual” (if there were to be one) than the title of this book, the question is does the contents of the book live up to the promise of the title?  Let’s see!

The sub-title of this book includes the term “Right Livelihood”, this is the topic for the first chapter.  The first “gem” in this book surfaced with this; “any talent that we are born with eventually surfaces as a need” to express this talent.  Right Livelihood is described as embodying: conscious choice, work is a way of being, self-expression, commitment and mindfulness, each of these is described in detail.

Chapter 2 teaches us that Self-Esteem plays a vital part in our lives; “ultimately everything experienced is screened through the filter of our self-view” and; “what we think we are evolves into what we in fact become”.  The Self-Esteem hampering issues of power, competency and likeability are covered.

In the chapter “Expressing your distinctive self” another valuable point appears: “Until we accept ourselves, it is unlikely that our vocational uniqueness will reveal itself through us, since vocation is nothing more than a way to live productively and uniquely” – this very nicely describes the challenge faced by many of us when we attempt to make our Mission our livelihood.  Along with self-acceptance goes non-judgement and the acceptance of others.  The chapter ends with some helpful questions to reveal your Life’s Purpose.

As the chapter title suggests “Treating yourself as if you count” is about self-reward and looking after ourselves.  She makes the point that; “treating ourselves well is a step that can rapidly build self-esteem ..” and that “by documenting and celebrating [our] successes [we] insure these will reoccur”.  She also points out that how we reward ourselves can reveal our values.  The subject of guilt and other self-defeating emotions are also covered.

“Dealing with the big R: Resistance” is the topic for chapter 5.  Sinetar offers some activities which we can self-observe to identify areas of resistance including: getting up in the morning, the length of time we can work on one thing without interrupting ourselves, our posture during activity and the way our mood affects our results.  Another challenge many of us face is procrastination because we believe we must be “perfect” before we start.  Sinetar says this: “We do not have to be or have all that we want in order to act on behalf of what we value.  Taking small gradual steps leads the way to taking larger steps later on.”

In “Dealing with the big S: Shoulds” chapter 6, we learn that many of the “shoulds” we have have been passed down from our parents.  Along with these are a whole range of “don’ts” born of cultural and religious biases.

In chapter 7, “The money will follow” we get onto the subject of money.  “Letting go” is the first aspect of ourselves and money to be considered in the context of risk taking, “some people are naturally intuitive about risk-taking.  Others use risk as a way of doing themselves in ..”.  There is also a “waiting period”, it is during this time that many give up on pursuing their right-livelihood as their work.  The third aspect of  “The money will follow” is; “to think well of ourselves and our capabilities, even without money”, this is especially true in cultures that equate money with success.
She points out how important our attitude to money is and how it is our responsibility to change it; “a gift everyone can give himself is that of expecting to be paid a decent, fair amount of money for his labors.  If we are not earning a sufficient amount for our efforts it is up to each of us to find out why.”

Chapter 7 contains numerous examples and comment.  This is one of my main criticisms of the book, the examples and case studies are many, they can be long and the connection with the topic being discussed is sometimes tenuous.  With no chapter title at the top of the page I found myself loosing the plot.  While much of the content of the book is useful,  the case studies from chapter 7 onwards got in the way of the underlying message. 

With the title “The Three Laws of Resourcefulness” it would not be unreasonable to expect somewhere in the text the subtitles or bullet points “Law 1”, “Law 2” etc. but is it not to be (in fact the book does not contain any subtitles).  Buried at the bottom of page 141 the word “First” indicates the start of the “3 laws” which are;
1) “the person must have faith in his or her ability to solve problems”
2) “to practice independent thinking and decision making”
3) “determination”
At least 70% of this chapter are case studies, these really did not work for me.

Chapter 9 has the title “Work as play or addiction”, this chapter appears to have been written to address the potential misunderstandings and criticisms of a person who is committed to their Right Livelihood yet perceived by others to be a workaholic.  Again case studies and comment abound.

The last chapter, 10, “Vocational Integration: Work as love, work as devotion”.  For me this chapter did not read well, the writing style changed from pragmatic to academic which I felt was inappropriate for the last chapter of this book, by now the case studies and comments are beginning to look like filler!

In Conclusion
This book contains some really useful information, but you have to look for it.  In my opinion this book would benefit hugely by removing at least 70% of the case studies, removing the last 3 chapters, adding meaningful subtitles and adding more practical advise on the subject of making our Right-Livelihood our vocation, maybe even our source of wealth.

Next month we review “Excuse me your life is waiting” by Lynn Grabhorn

What’s Happening At Mission Coach

Mission Coach Tele-Seminar 17th February 8:30PM GMT
From Mission to Money - Making Your Life’s Purpose Work

We are delighted Rita Bailey has agreed to host our first Mission Coach Tele-Seminar, the topic is: "From Mission to Money - Making Your Life’s Purpose Work"

Like many of us pursuing a more fulfilling life Rita has been exploring her own Life’s Purpose and very successfully applying her extensive business experience to making her Mission her work.

Rita really walks the talk and is a wonderful example of how we can attract more money and opportunities than ever before by being truly authentic and living our Life’s Purpose.

Some of the topics Rita will be covering in her 40 minute
presentation are:

1. Getting started, 6 paths to rediscovering your Mission
   
2. How having money buys you the time you need to live, explore and experience your Mission
   
3. How to share your Mission by making it valuable to others
   
4. How trust can be more effective than effort in attracting opportunities and money
   
5. How to start living your Mission now - even if you don’t yet know what it is!

Links For This Edition of the Mission Coach Newsletter

To subscribe to the free Mission Coach monthly newsletter click here:
http://www.mission-coach.co.uk/pages/mission_coach_newsletter.asp

To read the NLP technique guidelines click here:
www.mission-coach.co.uk/pages/nlp_techniques_guidelines.asp

To find out more about your free Mission Coaching Introductory session click here:
http://www.mission-coach.co.uk/pages/mission_coaching.asp
 
To go to the Mission Coach Home Page click here:
http://www.mission-coach.co.uk

To buy “Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow” from the U.K.
www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0440501601/selfleadershi-21
To buy “Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow” from the U.S.A.
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0440501601/missioncoach-20

To email me (Paul Beeston) click here:
paul@mission-coach.co.uk