REINVENT YOUR FUTURE

Live life intentionally  |  Live abundantly 

This cohort is about helping individuals live with purpose and passion, cultivate meaningful relationships, build new habits, and reclaim activities that renew the body, mind, and soul.

During this cohort, we'll address ways to:
  • Live purposefully and proactively.
  • Craft a rule of life that honors your callings.
  • Make self-care a priority.
  • Set better boundaries and expectations.
  • Embed new habits that create wholeness. 
  • Manage competing commitments.

During this course, you will share guiding principles and practices that shape how you design your days, weeks, and life that create meaningful, memorable moments, and create a legacy of a live well-lived. Please join us on this journey of reinvention.

We invite you to download the app. As a Cohort group, you'll receive regular updates in addition to a reminder email before each session.

Jim LaDoux,
Director of Coaching & Consulting Services
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SESSION 1 | Paint a Picture

1 | Share Introductions & Outcomes
  • Introduce self; share why LIVING well matters to you.
  • Share where you'd like to experience more wholeness.
  • Consider ways you can learn & resource each other.
  • Acknowledge life's competing commitments.
  • You'll design & share a Living Well road map/plan.
A SIMPLE COVENANT

Attitude
  • Be positive.
  • Be present.
  • Be playful and proactive
  • Be open to new ways of leading well
Actions
  • Be on time
  • B ready to contribute,
  • Volunteer to "go first."  
     
Assumptions
  • Be willing to stretch yourself and trust the process.
  • What's shared in our space, stays in our space.
  • We're not here to "fix" each other's problems.
  • We seek to draw upon everyone's wisdom.
2 | List the nourishing PEOPLE in your life
  1. Who feeds your soul?
  2. Who accepts you unconditionally?
  3. Who helps you laugh and enjoy life?
  4. Who brings out God's best in you?
  5. Who can you call after midnight for support?
3 | Highlight the WHOLENESS WHEEL
  1. On a scale of 1-10 (10=great), rate the status of your FITNESS.
  2. On a scale of 1-10 (10=great), rate the status of your FINANCES.
  3. On a scale of 1-10 (10=great), rate the status of your FAMILY LIFE.
  4. On a scale of 1-10 (10=great), rate the status of your FRIENDSHIPS.
  5. On a scale of 1-10 (10=great), rate the status of your FUN.
  6. On a scale of 1-10 (10=great), rate the status of your FUTURE plans/trajectory.
  7. On a scale of 1-10 (10=great), rate the status of your WORK (focus/environment).
4 | List what's PRESENT/MISSING in your life
  1. What's present in your life? 
  2. What's missing in your life?
  3. What's life-draining for you right now?
4 | Introduce "Design Your Living Well Road Map"
  1. What will be the the focus of your plan?
  2. What will be your strategies for fulfiling a plan?
  3. What will be your initial next steps?
  4. What will support your intentions?
  5. Hold you accountable?
  6. What resources do you need for the journey?
5 | Reflection questions & next steps
  1. What were your takeaways from Session 1?
  2. What do you need to do before Session 2?
  3. What facet of life is most pressing or important to you right now?
  4. What principles might you add to the "10" we discussed?
  5. List 3 people you feel model a life well-lived. What do they consistently say and do that you admire?
  6. What your history with setting & reviewing goals?
  7. What will you no longer tolerate?
  8. What's working for you?  What's not working?
  9. What do you need to say NO to right now?

SESSION 1 | Assignments

SESSION 2 | Clarify Your Values

1 | Revisit to Session 1 Topics & Stirrings
  1. What's stirring based on Session 1 conversations?
  2. Which principles "showed up" this past week?
2 | Discuss CLARIFY YOUR VALUES tool
The VALUES tool is designed to help you clarify what's most important to you, and at the same time, give you permission to say NO or NOT YET to other things in your life.

QUESTIONS
  1. How would you describe what core values are?
  2. What are the benefits of clarifying your values?
  3. When do values show up in your life?
  4. What are your top 5 core values?
  5. How will your values inform your intentions?
3 | Make lists based on the KISS acronym
The KISS exercise can be used to assess programs, ministries, staff relations, AND assess your current living well norms. We we inspect, we improve, and this exercise may help you "shift" how you spend you time, energy, and resources.  Give yourself permission to let go of a few things as well as to try on new ways of being and doing.

QUESTIONS
  1. What's working well for you?  Make a list of the things you want to make sure that you KEEP doing them?
  2. Of the things that are working well for you, how might you INCREASE the frequency of these activities?
  3. What's NOT working for you?  What do you need to STOP doing?
  4. What's missing in your life?  What do you wish to START doing or adding to your life?
  5. How does KISS inform your VALUES choices?
4 | Begin parking PREFERRED FUTURE ideas
Don't lose great ideas that bubble up in conversations you have with others, articles you read, or things you observe. Have a place to capture these ideas quickly and easily, and then set a time to periodically review them.

QUESTIONS
  1. When new ideas and possibilities "pop up," what do you do with them?
  2. How often do you ask, "Why not?"
  3. Where do you do your best dreaming?
  4. What would creating space for intentional dreaming look like for you?
  5. How often do your church leaders dream?
5 | List your primary ROLES in life
The roles we play the in daily life can also help us understand both our callings and what matters most to us. Roles I (Jim) play on a regular basis include being a coach/mentor, a husband, a father, a friend - all of which are reflected in the values's chosen for my life.  In I have a deep passion for learning, travel, and understanding other cultures. Therefore, I list EXPLORER as a role and ADVENTURE as one of my core values. I live into this value by taking one or more international trips every year, and maintaining connections with those I've met in other countries.

QUESTIONS
  1. What roles do you regularly play that show up in how you spend your time, energy, money, and attention?
  2. In what ways do these roles align with you chosen values?
  3. What joy do these roles bring to your life? 
  4. How would you like to invest in them more intentionally? 

SESSION 2 | Assignments

SESSION 3 | Craft a Rule of Life

1 | Share Applications to Session 2 Topics
  1. What's stirring based on Session 2 conversations?
  2. Which principles "showed up" this past week?
2 | Introduction to CRAFTING A RULE OF LIFE
A rule of life a a way of ordering our life around our values, practices, and  
  1. What are your top 5 core values?
  2. How do they show up in your life right now?
  3. Which values are not getting the time and attention you feel they desrve?
3 | Review your KISS lists from Session 2
  1. What's working well for you?  Make a list of the things you want to make sure that you KEEP doing them?
  2. Of the things that are working well for you, how might you INCREASE the frequency of these activities?
  3. What's NOT working for you?  What do you need to STOP doing?
  4. What's missing in your life?  What do you wish to START doing or adding to your life?
4 | Share sample Rule of Life documents
  1. Where and when to your best dreaming of a preferred future?

  3. How will you create space for intentional dreaming?

SESSION 3 | Assignments

SESSION 4 | DESIGN YOUR PLAN

1 | Share Recent Applications to Session 3 Topics
  1. What's stirring based on Session 2 conversations?
  2. Which practices "showed up" this past week?
2 | Introduction to Living Well HABITS
Living well habits are those routines and norms we create on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis that help that shape our capacity to live well everyday, everywhere.
  1. What are the 5-15 minutes habits that help you lead well?
  2. Which habits help you "sharpen the saw"?
  3. What is your experience with setting good habits?
  4. How might you embed new habits into your plan?
3 | Introduction to ATOMIC HABITS
Jim will share a slide show highlighting essential element that help you sent and maintain new habits.
HABIT 1 - Slow down!

HABIT 2 - Create space for deep work & renewal
  • 3-hour time block
  • Mini-retreat
  • Time with a mentor/guide
  • Combine with positive/play activity
HABIT 3 - Cleaning up loose ends; making decisions
  • List tasks to be tended to.
  • List decisions that need to be made.
  • List what needs to be deferred or let go of?
4 | NEXT STEPS - Designing Your Living Well Road Map
This is where the description goes.

QUOTES & QUESTIONS & CHALLENGES 

VIDEO TO WATCH & APPLY

Annual LIVING WELL Road Maps

LOOSE 20 POUNDS

  1. Drink 64 ounces of water daily.
  2. Weigh self every morning.
  3. Refrain from eating before 9am and after 7pm.
  4. Join neighborhood weekly walking group.

PLAN A 3-MONTH SABBATICAL

  1. Decide when sabbatical will take place.
  2. List life-enriching activities to enjoy during Sabbath.
  3. Decide which technologies will/won't be helpful.
  4. Decide who I'll engage with; where to go.

RECLAIM FAVORITE HOBBIES

  1. Schedule 45 minute weekly "family" game nights.
  2. Dine at a new restaurant once a month.
  3. Listen to and a novel with my spouse. 
  4. Join my neighbor's pickleball group.

END TOXIC FRIENDSHIPS

  1. List high maintenance relationship to rethink.
  2. Reduce interaction with long-term small group.
  3. List nutritious people in my life; see them more often.
  4. Discern what's keeping me invested in toxic friendships.

MEET WITH SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR

  1. Interview directors I'd like to meet with.
  2. Schedule 6 monthly sessions; re-evaluate.
  3. Write in my journal 3 times a week.
  4. Practice "modified" version of daily examen.

DECLUTTER MY HOME

  1. Tackle one room/month using Chaos method.
  2. Refrain to purchasing new things for 90 days.
  3. Place items I haven't used for over a year in a big box.
  4. Discard or sell "what if" items I rarely use.

SET BETTER WORK BOUNDARIES

  1. Schedule time with self/family on my work calendar.
  2. Suggest short "pre-meetings" to skip real meeting.
  3. Say defer new projects/initiatives for 60 days.
  4. Select 3 people to equip; delegate projects to them.

UPGRADE MINISTRY SKILLS

  1. Learn how to craft better stories and share them.
  2. Learn ways to build better teams and leaders.
  3. Develop skills for creating social media content.
  4. Learn new ways to manage information overload.

MAKE SENSE OF MY FINANCES

  1. Create an easy to track/update monthly budget.
  2. Create an easy to track/update net worth figure.
  3. Automate all monthly bills.
  4. Create an designated account for future big purchases.

WRITE BOOK TO LAUNCH NEW CAREER

  1. Write a 1000 words for book 3 times/week.
  2. Select an editor, book publisher, and 3 reviewers.
  3. Decide how I'll introduce book to the public.
  4. Explore ways to use book to generate new business.

Jim''s 2024 LIVING WELL Road Map

FINANCES

  1. *Launch LLC for Surface to Soul.
  2. *Develop 2025 budget; review retirement plans.
  3. Explore social security options.

FAITH

  1. *Meet with a spiritual director every 4-6 weeks.
  2. *Listen/watch The Great Course New Testament.
  3. *Breathing/Taize/Daily Text micro habits.
  4. Research hiking El Camino Trail in 2026.

FITNESS

  1. *Average 10,000 steps/day; use rucksack 3 times/week.
  2. *Complete home gym (Trex bands/treadmill).
  3. Fast one day a week (this has been sporadic).
  4. *Schedule a sleeping assessment.
  5. Create a consistent sleep routine.

FUN

  1. *Bike, kayak and ski (Welch Village season pass).
  2. *International trips (Portugal/Mexico/Costa Rica).
  3. *Solo fire pit/new smoker recipes.
  4. Purchase Guthrie season pass.
  5. *Spring break trips-Gina (SFO); Brett (CZM) Kenton (ATH).

FRIENDS/FAMILY

  1. Celebrate graduations for sons,Brett & Kenton.
  2. Family reunion with Gina's family.
  3. Sell in-law's home; move them to senior living location.
  4. Reconnect with key friends (8/12).

FUTURE

  1. *Transition work focus from Vibrant Faith to STS.
  2. *Create systems for scaling up coaching business.
  3. Receive training related to podcasting/video editing.
  4. *Develop new pathways for coaching/training.

Videos to watch