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Free Range Humans 6 Week course

with Marianne Cantwell and Selina Barker

May/June 2016

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Introduction + how this course works

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There are two things in this world that take no skill: 1. Spending other people’s money and 2. Dismissing an idea. Dismissing an idea is so easy because it doesn’t involve any work. You can scoff at it. You can ignore it. You can puff some smoke at it. That’s easy. The hard thing to do is protect it, think about it, let it marinate, explore it, riff on it, and try it. The right idea could start out life as the wrong idea.

Jason Fried. Founder of 37 Signals and co-author of ReWork

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Hey lovely, Welcome to the Ideas Adventure! This is a 6 week exploration of the wonderful world of ideas: what they are, how to have good ones… and then what to do when your suitcase is full of them and over weight limit (metaphorically speaking). The end goal is to put you in the best position to find that idea that you can get behind and get started on to create your Free Range life.

This course is a bit different from your average idea finding course. Mostly because we are interested not just in ‘an idea’ but rather in a good idea for you. That means we’re going to explore YOU just as much as the concept of ideas. We are going to help you figure out what makes for a good idea and how to really delve into what you want, what you have to offer, and how to deal with any head-crap that’s been getting in the way of finding an idea and going past the ‘what if’ stage. Check out this video for a more personal intro – this explains why the Ideas Adventure is the way it is, and how I came to this place too. VIDEO TIME! Click to watch the intro: https://vimeo.com/87261413

password: greatidea

PS: As you know, this year I have again partnered up with my favourite ‘find what makes you come alive’ coach Selina Barker who is co-leading this with me. Selina will be there live in the teleclasses (and leading the weekly webchats) and more. Meet her over the page!

Hello from Marianne

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Meet our get-unstuck coach: Selina Barker

Hi there! Ah, I am so excited about you doing this course. You have such an adventure ahead of you. My advice to you is to let yourself have fun with this. Dive in and have a go at all of it (even the exercises you might be tempted to skip, they often turn out to be the most valuable ones!).

If you ever get stuck, don’t stay quiet. Come and ask for help (you can see our guide on how to do this on page 16 in this introduction). Asking for help is the thing most people find the hardest - you’re smart and probably used to being able to figure things out for yourself, but if there is one lesson that all successful free rangers learn, it’s that being able to ask for help is key to success. That is what I’m there for on this course. For the next 6 weeks you have me to turn to when you get stuck (and to celebrate your successes!). I’ll be there with Marianne each week as we lead the Tuesday teleclasses together and if you like you can join me Wednesday on the web chats (you’ll be surprised what a buzz those can generate). I’ll also be popping in regularly to the Free Range Clubhouse (after it opens next Sunday) where you can shout out for help any time. Over the next 6 weeks you, me and the other Ideas Adventurers will be hanging out a lot and I cannot wait. Now turn the page and let’s find out what the next 6 weeks has in store:

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We’ve got a jam packed 6 weeks ahead so it’s worth knowing what you’ve got coming! Here is how the course is laid out and what to expect.

Adventure Roadmap (or: what the course looks like)

SET UP WEEK 1: getting back to you

THE CORE

WEEK 2: get excited (create the vision, find your advantages, start finding ideas – and tweaking them to fit you)

WEEK 3: get real (failure, iterations, going beyond the what-if freeze)

EXPLORE

WEEK 4: get out there (yes you’ll be doing something real this week!)

WEEK 5: get done (struggle to see an idea through? This week’s for you)

ROADMAP WEEK 6: get ready to make things happen (tailoring your free-range

adventure – what’s next).

You will receive the materials for each of these 4 sections separately.

Introduction to the next 6 weeks W hat’s coming up and how to get the most from it

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BONUS: A shiny new ‘how do free range humans make money’ document will come your way by the end of week 3! It answers the big questions like how to quickly know if people are likely to pay for an idea, how to know who is likely to want what you have to offer and where to reach them, going from individual paycheques to consistent income with our four part I.D.E.A model and other juicy making-it-work questions. This is not something you have to work on that week – instead this is your very own reference guide to keep in your toolkit, ready to dip into any time from here and beyond. We also give you space to ask these sorts of questions at the end of the teleclasses (we’ll explain how this all works on our first session on Tuesday).

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What’s in this thing anyway? 1. Workbook (this document!) Start with this workbook and listen to the audios/videos as you go. Take the time to complete the exercises. 2. Audios These are integrated throughout the workbook. When you click on the audio links, you will trigger a link to an MP3 recording which will open in your web browser. Storing these audios online is the most effective way of sharing these files. If you have any problems with the audios please email Free Range Jenny at admin@free-range-humans.com 3. Worksheets (for the exercises) These are provided in Word format in case you prefer to type rather than ‘print and write’. Of course, if you are printing this out to read, then you can scribble straight on the worksheets in here without worrying about any other documents (they are just copies of the exercises in editable Word format). 4. Teleclasses (live and recorded) All time and date details can be found here:

www.free-range-humans.com/iatimetable2016 password: IA2016

In these interactive sessions we go through key points of what’s come up from that week’s materials - and most importantly there will be an open line where you get a chance to ask Selina and me questions (as well as hearing how others are getting on). It’s a great chance to chat about any issues or ideas you have and get input from us. If you can’t make it I do suggest you try to listen to the recordings. Allow 60-75 minutes for the call. Keep in mind that there are dozens of people on the course so even though not everyone will show up to each class, this means not everyone will end up having a deep discussion on each call! It will however be in an informal discussion format with opportunities for questions and support.

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If you have anything specific you want to chat about or if you can’t make it, raise it in the community in the 24 hours before the call, prefacing your post with **Marianne/Selina teleclass question** All details of how to dial in can be found at the bottom of this page:

www.free-range-humans.com/iatimetable2016 password: IA2016

5. Webchats (weekly) A chance to chat with the written word rather than speaking! Also known as the ‘stuff I thought I couldn’t ask’ segment of the course. This 45 minute ‘get unstuck clinic’ is run by Selina (though I might sometimes pop in!) where you can ask qs and get answers/watch other people get answers without the pressure of a live call. The format is simple: hop into the instant-message style chatroom, ask questions and get answers. No content, just questions and answers. These webchats take place on the Campfire platform, once a week, at varying times each week. The transcripts will be available afterwards. Once again the full timetable of webchats and teleclasses (and how to join both) is here:

www.free-range-humans.com/iatimetable2016 password: IA2016

6. Ideas Adventure “Free Range Clubhouse” (online community) Secret Facebook group. The group is the place for you to meet and mingle and brainstorm with fellow Adventurers. Selina will also be in there at several points throughout each week to see how everything is going. The group will open on Sunday May 22 – to make sure you get included please take 30 seconds now to send a friend request to Selina on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/selina.barker

Selina will accept your request on May 22 (the day the community opens) at which time she will also add you to the group (and immediately delete you from her Facebook – don’t worry, she won’t

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be stalking you we simply have to do this to add you as it’s a ‘secret’ group which you can only join in this way!).

Notes:

• If your facebook name is wildly different to the name you registered with please let us know.

• This is a Secret Facebook group, meaning no one else will be able to see you are a member and your posts won’t show up anywhere else. If you haven’t joined the group yet and want to then please do the above now so you get included!

• If you do not have a facebook account (or have any concerns about privacy) please email admin@free-range-humans.com as we have a few workaround suggestions.

Finally, participation in the Free Range Clubhouse space is optional: you won’t get chased down if you don’t post! But remember it’s rare to get an opportunity to interact with other ideas explorers, and you will get more from the course if you do jump in, and say hi! It’s also the best place to ask questions. 7. Free Range Team. Meet the team! We are here for you throughout this course.

Free Range Jenny is our client happiness genie, and the one to go to with admin/technical questions for this course. You can reach her at admin@free-range-humans.com Jenny is a whiz at demystifying tech qs and will respond within 24/48 hours on weekdays.

(Alternatively, if a question is one that another participant is likely to know the answer to, then you can always ask in the Free Range Clubhouse after it opens - there’s usually someone around to help you out!)

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Selina Barker has become the person other coaches get to when they get stuck – and now she’s here live for you for 6 weeks. After travelling the UK in a campervan, working location-independent style across the USA and Canada, and leading retreats in Goa, Selina settled back into London life several years ago, and is now enjoying the adventure of balancing several exciting free range ventures with motherhood.

As you know, Selina is our ‘get unstuck’ coach on this adventure, so you can expect to see her around your Free Range Clubhouse community and leading the webchats (as well as co-running the teleclasses with me). Reach out and say hi J.

Marianne Cantwell. Hi! I’ll be here throughout (leading this course from Rome, London and France!). I’m here for you on the teleclasses, and will occasionally sneak into your online community but more to the point I’ll be monitoring this journey the whole way. Selina and I brainstorm answers to your

most pressing questions, are watching where the group is going overall, and we make sure there is a way for you to ask me direct questions should you need to. Read point 3 in the ‘Travel Advice’ section below to find out how to ask me questions and also when it a good time to – part of this course is learning how to answer your own questions, and we’ve set it up to allow you to do that while also giving you the back up support you need.

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How to use Selina and Marianne most effectively This is a picture of Selina standing on her head:

I share this because when we first ran the course together and I was talking to Selina about the parts of this course I wanted her to ‘own’, I was starting to wonder if it was too much to ask… and she replied “Seriously? I can do that part standing on my head. This is fun for me!” That’s what we’re looking for in a free range career: moments that are fun and that seem so easy to you (while others find it incredibly tough). Sometimes doing what is in flow for you is seen as an optional extra – but we know that playing to your best strengths is essential to ensure that the people you work with are getting the best value (while you’re loving what you’re doing!). So to make sure you’re getting the best from both of us, and to explain why you may hear from one of us more than the other at different parts of the process, here’s a quick reference guide:

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SELINA is your best bet for anything to do with defrosting, coming alive to yourself, dreaming big and tapping into your ‘core’ of what you want. She is also the person to go to if stuck on taking action or deciding. MARIANNE is the one to call on for ensuring ideas are in flow for you and any questions around personality types (especially wealth dynamics and MBTI). I’m also the one to draw on for the next steps of knowing if an idea will work, presenting your project so people light up, knowing how to go from ‘excited’ to making money and all the juicy stuff around finding a business model that suits your personality. You see, I am incapable of listening to an idea without my mind ticking over about a) how it fits for your personality and best strengths and b) how it will make money in a way that works for you. Selina can’t imagine hearing an idea without a) listening out for whether it brings you alive and if it does, then b) scheduling in the steps to get it into action.

This is here for your reference, but when you ask a question or raise something on a teleclass or webchat you don’t have to decide who to

direct it to: we know who is going to be the strongest at which part of your question and will make sure the right person answers, meaning you’ll get

the best support, nice and easy.

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Travel advice

How to get the most from this course

1. Do the darn exercises. This is a course with audios, exercises, and lots of activities... not a book. There is no way you can grasp the richness of the course by flicking through and reading the words. The power is not in what is written, it’s in the challenges I speak in the audios and in your dedication to doing this wholeheartedly in the exercises. Remember, this only ‘works’ when you listen in and then do this work for real. I know you’re busy and you might be tempted to just browse and read tidbits, but that’s not going to get you the results you need. I urge you from the bottom of my heart to DO the work here for real. We asked people who got a lot from the course last time, what did it for them and they said: it wasn’t any one exercise or thing in isolation, it was the experience of everything combined (both the course process and the support available). Every part built on the last, and they said there was no way they could have known what this course would deliver just dabbling with one exercise, or skimming through the words. So their advice to you? Trust the process. Do the work. Join the community and use it (even if that’s not something you’d normally do!).

Have you read Be A Free Range Human? If you have a) read the book AND b) you know you are a somewhat impatient person who often skips over things with the thought “oh I know that already” then please listen to this audio before continuing: http://tinyurl.com/gvs8t5o (you can start halfway through the audio if you like ;) If this isn’t you then skip this audio.

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2. Make time for you Want to do this right? The first step is to make time for you. Most of us have very busy lives and ‘finding the time’ doesn’t often happen. You have to make it. Plus, if you’re like most ‘nice’ people, you probably find yourself spending a lot of time on other people... but often forgetting about yourself. The next few weeks are a chance to focus on you as much as you focus on others. So here are some tips to finding the time to do the exercises, take action, reflect on things, and do the work. Everyone has different commitments and different ways of working. You may be able to grab 30 minute pockets of time in the day, or you may put aside two evenings a week. Whichever it is, make sure you schedule time into your diary now as a real appointment. As firm as going to the doctor’s or meeting a friend. Yes, you are that important. Start right now by writing your times into your diary, and then spend 20 minutes on the first section right now. Tip: If down the line you struggle with time, a great time-resource is David Allen’s Getting Things Done. He has a book out on Amazon or you can watch his You Tube video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo7vUdKTlhk Also feel free to ask Selina for more tips (in the Clubhouse or on the webchats/calls) as she is excellent at gearing people up to make things happen.

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3. Answer your own questions (aka: what to do if you get stuck) This one may sound odd given you’ve joined the course to get answers! But we know from experience that just diving in and answering everything right away does the opposite of helping you out in the long run. We’re not interested in seeing you all buoyed up for 6 weeks then leaving and thinking ‘what now?’. We’re more interested in you getting what you need AND having the tools to answer your own questions from here on in (after all, when you finish this course your journey is just beginning!). So here’s how we have set things up to give you the support you need but also the practice of thinking like a free range human. If you get stuck on any part of the course, here’s what to do (in this order):

1. Take a break. Put it down and step away. Take a walk, go away for a few hours, or leave it overnight, and let things tick over. In other words, however tempting it may be, do NOT make your first move to dive in and ask for help in the community. Instead ask “how would a free range human solve this problem” and let it sit for an hour or two (or sleep on it). A surprising amount of blocks get solved with this space.

2. Ask for help. If the issue is still there and you know it needs sorting before you can move forward, now’s the time to post in the community. Take a breath and think about what you really want answered. Now go to the Clubhouse (which opens this coming Sunday) and share where you’re at and what you need. You will soon get replies from fellow course members (if you specifically want our input, tag Selina in your post so she has a chance of reading it and helping you out!).

3. Ask Selina. The very best version of this is to ask your question on a webchat you’ll get in the moment feedback and support from Selina, there and then. Most issues will get sorted by this phase.

4. Ask Marianne Still stuck after all that? It’s time for a Marianne Question! Either hop on to a teleclass and ask your question there or flag it in advance in the online group with **Marianne question** and it will be passed on to me so I know you’re looking for help.

Hint: when you do overcome a block feel free to share that in the community! We often underplay those moments, but it’s really useful for others to hear how you’re handling things, so feel free to share what happened for you.

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4. Get aware of Top Dog This little guy has been with you all your life and he’s likely to be making a big appearance in your head during this course

Top Dog is the voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough – he criticizes your appearance, your worthiness, your potential. He’s the voice that tells you that you can’t really have what you want and no one really likes you (and yes, you are too fat). He speaks to you in a way you wouldn’t speak to a friend.

Some people call him your ‘inner critic’, some your ‘lizard’, or even your ‘shitty committee’ – choose your name for it. I like ‘Top Dog’, because his aim is to control you, and often he succeeds. But he doesn’t have to (it’s much like an out of control terrier has a whole household cowering in fear before the Dog Whisperer comes along). Why are we talking about this? Any challenge to the status quo, any attempt to do something you love, is going to get Top Dog growling. Bluntly: as soon as you try to do anything that is meaningful to you there’s a lot of ‘head-shit’ that comes into play. If you pretend this is just a tick the box ‘rational brain’ scenario, you’re setting yourself up for a fall. You are not here because there is a secret you haven’t learnt. You’re probably here in large part because of your Top Dog. If your Top Dog’s fatalist words win your head space, you will give up. Your emotions and your fears are powerful and they need to be dealt with kindly (both in this process and in your Free Range journey). Top Dog will be making an appearance on this journey so let’s deal with that. To help you do this, we’ve integrated Top Dog throughout your workbook. When you see his picture you’ll also see my take on what he might be saying. If you don’t recognize those words, then your Top Dog is not speaking up at that moment and you can skip that page. If it sounds familiar, read my response and try some new dog handling tricks. Remember, there’s a big difference between the scary voice that says “you’ll never make it!” and reality. Part of your process is learning to differentiate between the two.

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Now get to it! It’s time to take a look at Part 1, which you can find right here:

WORKBOOK: http://frh.me/ia2016week1workbook

EDITABLE WORKSHEETS:

http://frh.me/ia2016week1worksheets