Last week I created a challenge for myself and invited anyone who wanted to hear me pitch an event I’m collaborating on in Toronto with my friend, Shermain Melton, where all we have is a date so far and a commitment from both of us that it will happen. Instead of figuring out what it is first, we’ve decided that working together is the most important part and that the ideas will come after.
Pitching this incomplete idea at this stage is essentially a suicide mission (or a “Kobayashi Maru” mission in Star Trek lingo – the infamous Starfleet Cadet training simulation where you sacrifice yourself). The point is not to succeed, but how do you show up when you literally cannot?
I created conditions where I could not succeed. I was pitching something that was not defined, basic answers didn’t exist (like WHO this is for, and what problems it solves).
And yet… I did it anyway.
I did it because it was a freaking crazy thing to do. It satisfied my “What a story!” criteria of doing things not done, that scare me, and are fucking awesome.
I did it because I knew I would be changed on the other side, and anyone who came with me would also be changed.
So if I didn’t have anything to really talk about, what did I speak about?
I shared the story of how I got here. I shared what has already changed for Shermain and me from the moment we picked a date. I shared that we are using “Something never done before”, “Something that scares us”, and “Fucking Awesome” as the compass to guide us and that anyone joining us for this event will also use that.
I shared that it sparked a completely new idea, that Shermain and I have embarked on a 4-month-long intensive program ourselves, that will culminate in Toronto. We made it real and invoiced each other to make it official.
It’s called “Sage Quest” – named after the habit I have (and Shermain related with this, so he also took it on) of positioning myself as a “Sage on the mountain.” Waiting for people to find me. What if the Sage left the mountain? What if we did it together?
I wrote a list out of what would be important to me if I did:
- Visibility
- Action
- Impact
- Transformation & Growth
- Diversified Income
- Friendship
- Connection
- New Possibilities
That literally created the catalyst for me creating more connection with people, putting myself out there, and challenging myself to do things like pitch a program that doesn’t exist yet.
I measured those categories on June 2nd. I’ve been looking at them ever since, and I’ll measure them again when this is all over.
Sage Quest officially started on June 2nd, and culminates in our event in Toronto on October 2, 3, 4. The trajectory of my life has already changed because of it. I’ve already won this game just by playing.
I’ve also learned how incredibly hard I have been and continue to be on myself. I couldn’t shake the thoughts of how I screwed up my pitches, what was missing from them, the things I knew better, even though it was an admitted suicide mission. I had created conditions where there was no way for me to succeed. Failure was the point. Talk about a no-win scenario when I couldn’t even let myself feel good about it.
And that was the gift – to reveal and shine a light on this. Kobayashi Maru missions aren’t about winning, they’re about how you show up in certain defeat. And in my case, how I treat myself afterwards.
It wouldn’t have been illuminated had I not created this high-flame scenario. And now that I have, I can release that judgment and inner critic. I’m already transformed from this process.
What’s next from here? I have no idea. Today that meant writing this article and capturing the process so far.
Like everything I do, I am both a facilitator and participant. This goes back to my raves. I always created what it was I wanted to experience myself, and it just so happened that many thousands of people wanted to go with me.
Into the unknown. Where we won’t be the same at the end of it.
Intrigued? Want to hear an incomplete pitch from me? Click here: https://calendly.com/chrisfrolic/watch-me-squirm
