Today we have a special post from our friend and fellow coach Francesca Woltanski. She highlights her experience with the Coaching Adventure Game and tells us how she won! Check it out below.
My 3 Secrets to Winning the Coaching Adventure Game by Francesca Woltanski
It was back in October last year when I read the announcement that the Dojo would be hosting the Coaching Adventure Game. The challenge sounded like fun to me. Despite having quite a lot on my plate at the time, I knew this was a “HECK YES,” so I went ahead and signed up.
No one was more surprised than me when I went on to WIN THE GAMES – and claim a total prize worth over $5700!
Now, if you didn’t participate in the Games, I’ll quickly fill you in… There were 100 challenges in total for the games, and you would score points for completing each challenge. In addition to these, there were the Fast Action Bonus (FAB) Challenges. These were time-sensitive, and only a limited number of people could win the FAB Challenge points (in fact, there was often only one FAB winner).
And I am not feigning humility to say that when I signed up, it was not my aim or intention to win the games. I didn’t walk in with a particular strategy or expectation. But in the spirit of learning from both setbacks and successes, I decided to do some reflection on how I actually managed to win the Coaching Adventure Game – and how I can bring the lessons I learned into my coaching practice.
Through my reflection, I’ve narrowed it down to just 3 secrets… Let me whisper them into your ear – from the safe distance of the internet, of course…
Secret 1: I set an intention for growth
I went in intending to meet other coaches, to become a better coach – and to have a bit of fun. My focus was on connection. I was excited to be working on my coaching skills and my business alongside other like-minded people.
Each of the 100 challenges had different scoring criteria. Some of the obstacles were super scary for me – like heart-racing, palms-sweaty scary. But instead of worrying about how frightening or challenging they were, I focused every day on getting points on the board. I even decided not to focus on how many points I was scoring. As long as I was getting some points on the board every single day, I was happy.
This was my strategy in the first week. Each challenge I completed built more and more belief and confidence. By the beginning of the second week, I realized that I was ranking at Number 4! The combination of the belief that I’d started building in myself – and my competitive streak – spurred me into action!
I realized that I could win the whole Coaching Adventure Game – but I had to up my game! I was up against some really talented coaches who were determined to win it. That’s when I started getting more strategic…
Secret 2: I committed to daily action and got organized
I intentionally decided to make the Coaching Adventure Games a priority – my main priority. I created a plan and tracked my progress to ensure I could complete as many of the challenges as possible.
I committed at least 2 hours every day to work on the challenges. Now, I will add here that I also have a day job. This job is helping to fund my dream as I transition into full-time life coaching – and although the hours are flexible, I’m primarily working full-time hours.
This meant that I needed to focus on my time management and be very organized. Not only did I have to schedule in time to do the challenges, but I also had to be ready for the FAB challenges. This is where I pulled out my secret weapon.
Secret 3: I got strategic about Facebook and Email
I had missed the first few FAB challenges. But when I realized that I would need to complete all 100 challenges and score points on as many FAB challenges as possible, I was determined not to miss another FAB bonus!
So I got strategic about email management and Facebook. If I was going to win the FAB challenges, I needed to make them a priority, and since they could come at any time, I had to be prepared. However, I knew that if I was constantly checking my email inbox, or enabling all Facebook notifications, I would be headed straight for Distraction Central! (Which I could obviously ill-afford, given my limited time…).
So, I started with my email inbox and used a tool called Unroll.Me. I went through my emails and decided which emails inspired me but didn’t need my attention for the duration of the coaching game and used Unroll.Me to roll up all those emails into one.
I then made sure I was clearing out my inbox every single day to be as close to inbox zero as possible so that when a FAB challenge came in, I didn’t miss it, and I would be ready to tackle it.
On Facebook, I pinned a few Facebook groups that were important and sorted out my notifications so that I was only receiving the most important ones. Since some of the FAB challenges could come up on Facebook, I had to make this a priority.
By prioritizing what emails and notifications I was seeing, I could easily decide whether it was important to make time for them or not – in a matter of seconds. In doing this, I was able to really focus on the Coaching Adventure Game – something that I had intentionally prioritized. This felt great!
My strategic use of email and Facebook made me feel a lot less overwhelmed than I ordinarily would have at the prospect of completing 100 challenges and the FAB’s! I grew both personally and professionally as I completed each challenge. I could build entire “new floors” on the belief I had started building at the beginning of the Games.
And OMGS – it was FUN!
The Result: The Mindful Tech Masterclass
Keeping my email and Facebook notifications in check during the Coaching Adventure Game ensured that I was focused and prioritizing the right things. This made me really think about how we use email in our day-to-day lives and how the inbox often disguises itself as a to-do list.
Our inboxes have a way of running our lives, prioritizing for us. It should be the other way around. Email is such a great tool, and when used right, it can be super powerful.
If we are not mindful about the way we use it, our Facebook feed and notifications can keep us occupied for days (especially in times like these!) – and this applies to social media across the board.
Winning the Coaching Adventure Games was a thrilling moment for me, and I am thankful that the experience inspired me to create a resource called the Mindful Tech Masterclass. I ran the Masterclass live, and I have now packaged it as a digital product. I’ve bundled up the live recording of the Masterclass with an accompanying worksheet, a set of Mindful Tech Affirmations, and a Guided Visualization to help you get your tech in check.
In current times, when we rely on our tech more than ever, I believe it’s essential for us all to bring a sense of mindfulness to our use of technology.
The Mindful Tech Masterclass Bundle is currently available for $49, but for those in the Dojo community, you can get it for my 30th birthday special for just $30 until May 30th, using the coupon code DOJO30. Just click here.
I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to the Samurai Coaching Dojo and to all the Samurais I have worked with during the group program and in my 1:1 sessions. Special shoutouts to Sensi Toku and Sensi Matt for leading the Dojo. Your generosity and your “in the moment” leadership blessed me and taught me so much. Special shoutouts to Laure and Claire for taking 2nd and 3rd places. I really couldn’t have won the games without you! Special shoutouts to Rob, Tamas, Julie, Laure, Demi, Dan, and my fantastic sparring partner, Erin, for completing the Spring 2020 Dojo with me. You inspired me, challenged me, and helped me become a better person and a better coach!
And none of this could have been possible without the genius of Christina, who created the Coaching Adventure Games! Thank you, Christina, for your heart for play and your dedication to making the world a more colorful place!
I’m really looking forward to “defending my title” at the next Coaching Adventure Game too! 🙂
P.S. If you’re a coach and you’re wondering how to gain confidence and improve your skills as a coach, you should definitely check out the next Dojo coming in Fall 2020. Being a part of the Spring Dojo 2020 was one of the best decisions I could have made for my life and my business.
