What does it take to come up with a great idea that truly fits you? Well for me, and now my family, the journey began in Woodland Park, Colorado. My wife, Jodi, saw that Free Agent Academy was hosting an intensive event focused on Idea and, knowing me better than I know myself, convinced me to attend. The goal of the event – to understand yourself, your story, and uncover an idea that you can not only go after, but own.
Jonathan Pool, the FAA professor of Idea, led us on a journey of discovery. We walked through the life of hypothetical guy to learn how the whole picture of our life (the good, the bad, our strengths, our personalities, and our heart) have helped shape us into who we are. We created a wall of perspective. This was literally a wall covered with large sheets of paper all about you, giving others the opportunity to enter your life and help see in you what you are unable to see in yourself. It was a powerful and revealing journey, which was humbling to me as my life was exposed for the world to see. I found freedom in the transparency and counted it as a gift from the Lord, for He knows that darkness can only exist with the absence of light.
Here is a little of what I learned about me:
- I see the world through the eyes of adventure.
- I love to learn and am eager for a challenge.
- My heart is to strengthen and restore relationships.
- My family is my adventure.
- My core values are integrity, family time, safety, and challenge.
- The way I think and interact with the world is a balance of concrete/structured and abstract/unstructured. I see the strengths in both sides and am able to live in both worlds through a planned freedom.
These things became part of my filter which I used to sift ideas finding what aligns with who I am at the core. If the idea does not fit, then it will eventually become an energy drain and be unsustainable. This is a great tool that I plan to use when signing up for service projects, planning adventures, new job assignments, etc…
As I actively used the idea filter to work through my list of ideas, I found one that seemed to fit so well that I could own it. Let me know what you think. Does the following idea align with the things I learned about myself?
The idea – The Funhog Family 50-State Challenge: As a family, visit each of the 50 states
- Experience a unique adventure per state
- Interview ministries that have impacted our family
- Promote marriage and family
- Make family the adventure and relationship the journey, showing that a family of seven on the road is not only possible, but only a stepping stone to the adventures to come.
Join us, the Funhog Family, as we live life, love hard, and regret little. Through our simple yet adventurous life, we desire to inspire the world to seek Christ and to invest in what matters most.
