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Day 3: 150+1

Tomorrow gives me 150 days to get everything finished. I’m a sucker for a symbolic target/countdown, so have spent the day pondering how I could fill the fields on my SuperBetter app before fully getting to grips with the book.

If you need a reminder, as part of a work challenging I’m using the SuperBetter formula to achieve a challenging goal whilst modelling this with the Better Connected ‘audience’ (‘participants’ maybe…) Who join me on a Thursday night.

I’d always thought I’d finish the book first. But with all the challenges in there too maybe it needs to become part of the wider picture. Otherwise I’d either need to do double the challenges or wait six weeks before even getting going.

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Day 2: Heroic Potential

Part of the SuperBetter challenge I am undertaking with Better Connected is setting a ‘just out of reach’ goal to achieve. (Actually, completely out of reach goals work better if you can do them – but are a little more crazy making.) You also need to bring at least two allies with you to encourage and cheerlead along the journey. I’ve approached two people today, but won’t mention there names unless they agree. It does however mean I’m now committed to the challenge I laid down yesterday – as it is really out there in the public domain.

Whilst I’m waiting for them to respond I’ve started working through the core book on the project SuperBetter by Jane McGonigal. Last night was just the introduction so I’m only just getting started. Pretty soon I’m going to have to fire up the app too, but that might have to wait till I start meeting with the Guideposts Service users on Thursday nights. For now, I’m “supposed” to be on holiday!

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Day 1: Indocilis Privata Loqui

I am a member of both my local magic club, the Watford Association of Magicians, and Christian Magicians UK. But it has always been an ambition of mine to join the most famous magic society in the world: The Magic Circle.

Entry to the circle is by examination amongst peers and I’ve never quite sought the courage to join. So when seeking a yardstick to measure my progress on Guideposts SuperBetter challenge – or an ‘epic win’ as they would call it – what better goal could there be?

If I want to up my magic skills to the required standard, what better goal is there than achieving membership of the UK’s, nay world’s(!), premiere magic society? I had originally intended simply to “up my game” and get something performance ready. But this ups the ambition to a whole new level, whilst also embedding, a previously lacking, level of quality control.

This ‘Epic Win’ makes a proper SuperBetter challenge; a specific mesaurable goal, that although stress inducing, is still – just about – achievable. So five months from now I not only hope to have a working magic set but also, as part of this, an examination set prepared ready for presentation at the ‘Circle.

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Day 0: Spooky Mulder

Whenever I start a new project I like to have at least some confirmation I am doing the right thing. Today marks day one of a 5 month magic challenge with Guideposts Trust for whom I host Better Connected.

It was therefore a strange ‘coincidence’ that the church I visited today, whilst on leave from my “other” job as Pioneer for the Parish of Great Chesham, asked us both to consider and commit to a personal project. Mirroring the parable we had to decide whether we were currently ‘sowing, harvesting or reaping’, work out why we were doing it – it’s purpose – and then give it to God buy completing a tag and placing it in a shared basket.

Being me and slightly obstinate(!?) I had decided not to do it. However about a minute later I found myself, contrary to type, filling in a tag and placing it in the bucket. This feels like it might be one of those weird occasions when all my different roles come together and if it all goes right – might even be the beginning of a new one.

No matter how much assurance anyone gives me though is not going to make up for the fact that one day in I’m still staring at a blank sheet of paper. Five months might seem like a long time to perfect a skill, but it will soon go.

… I must not get complacent.