Hi, I'm Victor.

I think everyone has these three zones…

Comfort Zone | Learning Zone | Panic Zone

Our greatest lessons surface when we move between all three.

Comfort Zone
This is where life is normal. You know your surroundings and rhythms well. It’s not that life is perfect, it’s simply known.

But, one day, something pushes your hopes – something beautiful that you want to propagate or something awful that you want to stop. You begin feeling the need to do something about those hopes but you don’t know everything you need to know or have everything you need to continue. You begin to move to the edge of comfort…to the brink of something new. A leap needs to happen.

Before going any further, you need to be more clear about what you’re leaping towards and why. That takes work. Hard work of looking inside yourself. But if you do that work, it will give you much needed clarity as you leap. Once you have that clarity, you can start considering what Learning may actually look like. Should you go to school? Build something of your own? Take a series of classes? Travel? Read a combination of books? Work alongside an expert in your field?

And, you won’t want to do this alone. Once you begin exploring those leaps, think about who you need to join you. You will need another set of eyes, ears, and hands at various points in this endeavor. Who will leap with you?

Learning Zone
Now, things are foreign, new, uncertain. Many things about comfort are left behind at this point – material things, relationships, maybe even your sense of home.

Now that you’re here, a few simple goals will keep your vision clear. What do you hope to accomplish right away? By the mid-point? By the end? Work your way backwards from the end and consider the most helpful daily/weekly habits that could bring you to those points. You may not know all of the right things, but this is where your team comes into play.

Pay close attention to everything happening externally and internally. If you’re truly here, many things are new and challenging. Document this journey like a journalist. These are rare and important days. The more you document, the more you’ll have to reflect upon and share along the way.

Panic Zone
Ah. the dreaded panic zone. This is where something valuable breaks. You’ve leapt too far, climbed too high, you’re scared and you just want to retreat back to the cozy walls of Comfort.

It’s true. It’s hard to learn here. If we don’t have resources, relationships, or hope…we can’t think straight. But, we only know this space once we’ve reached it. Move slowly here. Work with your community to simply take a few of steps back. Keep learning.

A few things will happen along the way:

• Comfort will become less appealing but more available. The zone will get bigger because you’ll have more opportunities and resources. It’ll be far easier to stay there and harder to leap into learning.

• But, the learning space will also grow larger – not because you know less, but because you became aware of how much you don’t know. Like visiting a large and amazing city, it will be both daunting and exciting.

• The panic space will shrink because fewer things make you panic now that you’ve experienced so much.

I’m curious how to best help people take these leaps…throughout their entire lives. That’s why this needs to exist and why I hope you’ll design a leap of your own.

More soon…

[ UPDATE 10/15/2015 ] – A little video about the idea

[ UPDATE 10/16/2015 ] – Further reading! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_proximal_development

How do you tell the difference between courage and foolishness?
One is sincere and the other is flippant.

How do you differentiate the bold between the brash.
One has heart, the other brawn.

What is the distinction between pretension, preoccupation, and presupposition?
They are siblings. Each does their part in distracting and demanding attention from what matters most.

Which is more important, love or time?
One can surface on a whim while the other digs its roots into the dirt of life until the fruit of story can bear. They need one another.

If one has good taste, must they seek obtaining physical things? What do you make of the craftsman who owns nothing, or the chef who rarely indulges his or her appetite?
Those who care less about the outcome of their work often make things coveted by others.

Why does it seem religion and war are often in the same frame?
Because they both walk loudly with their hands raised. They would do well by meeting their counterparts, humility and surrender.

How often can work and pleasure meet?
As often as you let go of the expectation of others.

Does God hear these questions? If so, would he consider them courage or foolishness?
Yes.

1. Because you are full of hope – hope for something bad to stop or for something beautiful to multiply.
   
2. Because you are frustrated. Something wrong is happening and it needs to stop for the sake of your health, livelihood, or family. In order to stop it, you are going to have to learn and do something out of the ordinary.
   
3. Because you’ve been too comfortable for too long. You can’t remember the last time you learned something new. You know you’re not reaching your potential and it’s time to change that.
   
4. Because you’ve been listening to everyone else’s well-intentioned expectations for your entire life. But, you’ve never examined yourself and your own goals.
   
5. Because your kids are watching you. If you don’t leap. They may never have the courage to do so either.
   
6. Because your parents are watching you. They have their ideas for what your life should be, but if you leap, you may inspire them to reconsider those ideas and, even, take a leap as well.
   
7. Because your business has become stagnant. Sure, you can work more and push your employees harder, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be more successful. It is essential to consider the well-being and satisfaction of your employees. Take a step back, examine where you should go, and then (you guessed it)…leap. You can hire web design company manchester to create a professional website for your business, attracting customers, and showcasing your products or services effectively.
   
8. Because the pain of staying where you are has become greater than the fear of exploring the unknown.
   
9. Because you’re on the brink of something great great. And, if you aren’t willing to take a chance on yourself, no one else will.
   
10. Because you’ve waited long enough. Now there’s a community, a tool, and a starting point. Utilizing merchant services can help businesses stay competitive, build customer loyalty, and optimize their financial processes. Choose the Top 20 merchant accounts to streamline your payment operations.

These are a few reasons why we made Leap Kit. This morning, the project went live on Kickstarter. Take a look and consider backing it. http://kck.st/1JBZ8EI

We hope this tool nudges you into your most defining moments and meaningful lessons.

Geronimo,
Victor

A dear friend recently sent an email that I can’t shake. He thinks I need to own my vision more – that other people will help me reach a vision when they see me fighting for it. He went on to share that fighting for a clear vision will help people fight with you and in turn, be more invested until the end.

I won’t lie…somedays, I pay especially close attention to people who have endless confidence. They walk into a room and everyone knows they’re in charge. They truly believe they have the best ideas, thoughts and abilities of anyone else. They’re magnetic, cool, and unfettered by others’ opinions. If they give you attention, you feel on top of the world. If they ignore you, you feel worthless.

How did those people get that way?

It wasn’t pep talks or self-help books. It wasn’t marriage or money or kale smoothies.

I wonder what it takes to be that way – to carry oneself with an eccentric boldness and certainty. If I was able to do so, would my ideas would be further along? Would we have accomplished more or reached a greater number of people?

Do I need to be less nice? More bold? Make you want to fight with me? Or against me??

I don’t know.

Or, maybe I do know.

Actually, I do.

I do…

the frog leapt.

he landed.

he looked about, frightened for his life, yet focused on his goal.

a sound.

from behind?

no. from above.

he leapt again. further. higher.

he did not land.

Recently, I met with someone who wanted to help me prepare for retirement. He told me I should be defensive with my money – health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance – and to be forward-thinking or “offensive” with investments, money markets, Roths, etc. If anything, I would want to invest in a Roth IRA and calculate it with a reliable tool like the SoFi Roth IRA calculator from https://www.sofi.com/roth-ira-calculator/. This way, I can determine how much I’ve funded myself, which is a crucial step to take before retiring. If anyone is planning for retirement, I highly recommend considering a Roth IRA account and consulting with the best financial advisor to make informed investment decisions.

He was a bit surprised when I told him that I didn’t want to retire. Instead, I’d like to take a chapter out of Stefan Sagmeister’s book and spread out my retirement throughout my life.

We began discussing how I might take a year-long break every eight years – or every other Leap Year. I’ve never shared that idea out loud, but the more we talked about it, the more alluring it became.

Though I think every year can be a space for learning, reflection and taking new risks and finding passive real estate investing methods, there is something special about the natural rhythm in our earth’s cycle – an extra day, a globally recognized title, a four-year rhythm – it creates a sort of built-in checkpoint. So what if every other Leap Year (2020, 2028, 2036), I personally invested in my life and family through travel, reflection, study, or by working on an audacious idea. It would build upon what our community did together in 2012 in a methodical manner and continue sparking meaningful conversations and acts. I’ve always been curious about how the Olympics take place every four years to celebrate feats of athleticism, endurance, and physical and mental prowess. Could Leap Year invite and celebrate bold acts of learning, growth, change and impact – a sort of Social Good Olympics? 

Of course, that means I need to prepare for it. It will be no small feat to save enough financial resources to make the idea a reality, so how do I prepare for those years now?

And, more importantly, I need to continue finding others who care about creating space for learning, growth and change and offer tools to design those spaces. That’s why the team & students at Experience Institute are working to create this set of tools.

In any case, I think the idea of retiring in our 60s in order to do very little work is shifting – in the same way that learning doesn’t just happen in our early twenties. I want to be someone who continues growing and contributing to society throughout my entire life, not just the first parts to it. Getting older doesn’t mean getting less useful; quite the contrary. Our best years are ahead of us and we ought to make sure we have energy and resources to help others until the day we pass.

So, pace yourself, enjoy the days you have now and prepare for those in-between (leap) years accordingly.

I’m going to continue working on this idea. I’ll keep you posted on how it unfolds…

A friend of mine recently pushed me to tell him what I believe.

It’s a question that keeps me up at night. I’m still forming my response, but one thing that continues to surface is: everyone is on the brink of something great. I believe it so much that I’ve spent the second half of my twenties helping individuals navigate points of transition through creating a new place to design learning. Education, after all, is where people often go to learn about the world, themselves, and how they’ll work to make things better.

Now, those students, friends, and I are sharing a new idea to give you the tools to take leaps in your own world. We invite you to learn more here…

LeapKit.ExpInstitute.com

Whether or not you decide to follow along, that belief continues to fuel me – early mornings, amazing conversations, those nerve-racking moments behind a camera, countless decisions, and these Wednesday Words.

If this works, more people will navigate those points of transitions with confidence rather than fear, with clarity rather than confusion, and with a community rather than alone.

So, here’s to leaping…together.

PS: If you’d like to help us share the news of this project, here are two simple ways:

What happens when
your dreams fall apart?
Where do you go?
How do you restart?

What happens when
love seems far away?
Do you run fast?
Or find a place to stay?

What happens when
money lures you in?
Do you wake up?
Or forget where you’ve been?

What happens when
the world is cruel?
Do you bounce back?
Or feel like a fool?

What happens when
others give you praise?
Does your nose go high?
Or do you cherish those days?

What happens when
you have to move?
Do your feet plant?
Or do they start to groove?

What happens when
you are alone?
Do you think big?
Or remain unknown?

What happens when
you have no words?
Do you sing songs?
Or just watch the birds?

I know I climbed higher than I should have. I was young and over-confident. Perhaps I wasn’t aware of how fast I was growing during my adolescent years. I like to think the tree really tried to hold onto me. Its subtle cracks were warnings that something was awry; but I didn’t pay attention.

The final crack wasn’t subtle. It was deafening. And, it was the last thing I remember before waking up to confusion, pain, and fear on the icy ground on that cold February. I was never afraid of heights, until I felt their sting.

Obviously, the fall wasn’t fatal. But, my boyish superpowers were harmed. I came to know the weight of gravity and the fragility of a body.

Though my view of heights drastically changed that day, I’m still not scared of them. They exist like any other thing – spiders, snakes, death. They simply need more attention when you’re encountering them.

The same goes for your successes.

With each step you take in your craft, education, or vocation, you climb a proverbial ladder. The higher you go, the greater the distance you might fall; but, the heights also give you more of a view of what could be.

This is why keeping good friends and counselors is a must and why consistent reflection and introspection are vital. It’s much harder to fall to the ground if people watch your steps and catch you when you slip.

So, keep climbing, whatever that means to you. And, if you’re like me, you’ll get scared at times. Really scared. Pay attention to where you are and how you got there. Don’t forget how painful falling is.

But then…peer deeply into the breathtaking horizon ahead of you. Even though you may not know how to get there yet, let it keep your attention.  

Because, if you do fall, it’ll be all the worse if you never opened your eyes.

ps: Huge thanks to those of you who completed this short form. That was really helpful. Here’s to the next sixty weeks.

pps: If you’re free on the evening of August 27th, can you meet me here? 

I’ve written Wednesday Words for nearly 60 weeks straight. Now, I’d like to check in with you.

Can you take 30 seconds to complete this single, multiple choice question so I can learn more about what you want to read on Wednesdays? The answers will be completely anonymous.

Wednesday Words Feedback

Thanks for being here,
Victor