MyWatchmates - July 2006

Welcome to the inaugural MyWatchmates newsletter.  We hope you are enjoying being part of the MyWatchmates community. This newsletter provides you with information and inspiration to help keep the Outward Bound flame alive and to help you keep in touch with MyWatchmates members.

Please read on and, as always, feel free to give us feedback –it is your newsletter. 

•  How to keep the flame alive 
•  What a success
•  And the winners are...
•  Outward Bound photo competition
•  Something to share
•  Catch up with OB Staff
•  Website Tips

Some tips from Martin Wilson, career and life coach and Classic Mature student 2004

On the whole, we remember Outward Bound fondly because of the ‘places’ it took us and in spite of the comfort zone ‘extension’!

Memories of Outward Bound are nostalgic for most (and surprisingly clear - given that - for some, many years have passed since completion.)  If you are anything like me, what we had in mind post OB was more than just a nostalgia trip.  We wanted to apply the powerful experiential learning of Outward Bound in order to realise a better and more fulfilling life.  To be our best selves, or as the Outward Bound value declares, to achieve ‘Greatness.’

What sometimes follows an Outward Bound experience, however, is less buzz and more blah, accompanied by that edgy feeling of guilt - that laden feeling of ‘What happened to my Inward Odyssey with an Onward Bound?’

In 2004 I completed an Outward Bound Classic Course. In an ideal world, I would have stepped off the boat back in Picton, taken my OB learning and set the world on fire.  But, like others, I experienced the very human post Outward Bound  ‘blues’ and at times, the gnawing apathy that sometimes follows the OB high. 

As a career, leadership and life coach, I often meet people wanting a better, more fulfilling life or people who want to be the best they can be - but they face barriers.  There are a number of strategies I can suggest to help overcome these obstacles, including tools that I used to ‘reignite the flame’ and to bring Outward Bound, homeward bound.

My OB course followed two months of holidaying in Australia and trekking in Nepal.  The return to the real world and, in particular, the busy law practice I owned at the time, was confronting; so too was the prospect of putting to work my new found Outward Bound knowledge. However, I had learned at Anakiwa that, more than ever, I needed to be true to myself.  I chose to adopt the following strategies:

Strategy One – Listen to yourself

It is important to listen to yourself and decide what is right for you. 

After weeks of trekking and outward bounding, I was tired – physically, mentally and emotionally.  Despite the call to follow through with my Outward Bound learning and to make some big changes in the way I lived, I knew that needed to wait.  I ‘listened’ to myself. By that I mean, I noticed what I was feeling (as opposed to thinking), trusted my ‘gut’ instinct, and reflected on what had worked for me in the past in similar situations.  For me, the answer was in choosing balance.  After getting through three busy weeks at work I had a decent rest.

Strategy Two – It’s okay!

‘Do it guilt free.’  Don’t step into ‘should’ land – avoid the feeling of ‘I should be living my life the Outward Bound way.’ 

I shoved the ’shoulds’ and I gave myself permission to feel tired, but in a happy way, post OB. I was then able to regain the energy required to get on with making some big changes.  By freeing myself of a sense of obligation (and not being too hard on myself), I developed a greater desire to get on with things, rather than a feeling of I have to do this. 

Strategy Three - Ask for support

Ask someone to hold you accountable and to support you.

After a few weeks of rest it was tempting to…keep on resting.  But along came that nasty little creep, procrastination.  While I recognised that I had choices, I was not pursuing them.  So I asked a colleague to hold me accountable and to support me to make the changes I wanted post OB - just as I had learned and been supported to do at Outward Bound.

These three strategies alone have made a huge difference. The challenge for me was not to settle for the comfort of understanding my current situation; rather to experience what might lie beyond it and to put into practice my new found knowledge. Once again, it was a case of choosing Outward Bound’s ‘learning through experience' tools to meet and overcome a challenge.

Being responsible for myself, by taking action, has brought about great changes: the feeling that I am on track, am achieving at a much better level, and am more aligned with myself.

I challenge you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable – yes, uncomfortable once more – to be active, and to take on and apply the Outward Bound experience.

Since my OB course, I have made some big changes.  These include selling my law practice and leaving a law career after 25 years.  I am now building my coaching business, which I began six years ago and living a life that has balance and abundance.  I am building on other key lessons I got from Outward Bound about trusting myself of employing the power of focus, based on a foundation of values, to build a life which is profoundly happy and fulfilling. Last, but not least, I am learning to enjoy the journey by taking a step by step approach rather than allowing myself to be swamped by the thought of a destination too far away. The destination will follow. Maybe that will involve another Outward Bound experience! 

Martin Wilson

[Martin Wilson of Selfmade Coaching offers coaching in the areas of self development, career and other transition, work/life balance , leadership, communication, conflict management, pursuing purpose and passion, developing self belief, business set up and growth and converting awareness into action.  He can be contacted at 04 4997805 or martin@selfmade.co.nz. Sessions can be in person or by phone.  Please contact  Martin for a complimentary session. ]

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1 in 9 students! 60% of watches have at least one person registered! Nearly 5000 Outward Bound students registered…  in just 3 months of being live!!!!!

We have been thrilled by the response so far that has put watchmates back in touch with each other.  The development of the MyWatchmates website has been ground breaking across not only Outward Bound international, but also other Alumni groups in New Zealand.  Its outstanding success so far is a credit to all those who have been involved!  From scanning all the course photos, searching old handwritten records in the archives, designing the website, building the system to hold all the data, it has been an incredible undertaking.

This emphasises even further, the strength of the Outward Bound New Zealand community, something we, as former students, should all be proud of. 

Please keep spreading the word and trying to track down those elusive watchmates you have lost touch with over the years!  With your help we can keep the flame alive for many more former students of Outward Bound.

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Reunion competition

Congratulations to Scott Watch from C33 (1966) and Hillary watch from MBS45 (2004).   These two groups have won a reunion in Anakiwa by getting most of their watch registered in MyWatchmates and winning the prize draw.   Outward Bound staff in Anakiwa are very excited to be hosting both reunions in mid August.  We will bring you photos and stories from this event in our 2nd edition.

Registration and referral competition
Congratulations also to the six winners of the Kathmandu gear and the Hubbards Cereal.  These competitions are being drawn every month. Please make sure you keep encouraging past students to register on My Watchmates.

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Loading old photos onto the MyWatchmates website has been a fascinating adventure showcasing a significant part of New Zealand history for Outward Bound staff.  We have seen the changes from men in ties to bushshirts,  sideparts to mohawks, adidas trackies to lowriders.

Now we want to see more, so we’re running a photo competition.  Send your favourite photo that reflects , to you, the Outward Bound attitude to photo@outwardbound.co.nz and you could win an Outward Bound branded Merino top. 

Please note only one entry per person and photos must be limited to 100kb.  Click here for more details and our terms and conditions.

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We receive some fantastic stories, quotes, poems and words of wisdom every day.  In this edition we wanted to share this with you. 

Received on 21 July 2006 from a former student on C283 from 1988, he also completed a Rediscovery course in 2003.

"Hi OB, I have recently stepped out of my comfort zone and left the world of salaried lifestyle to tackle the challenge of self employment.  The lessons learned from my two OB courses have give me the courage to take the plunge and the self belief to know I will be successful through my own efforts alone".

OB Staff members Phill Hall and Tracy Bowman are currently doing the rounds showcasing Outward Bound to the public at Expo’s around the country.  Come on down and support Phill and Tracy, they love it when past students drop by.  Whether you just drop by and say hello in passing, or hang around for a bit to talk to other potential students, this is a great way to be involved and keep up to date with what’s happening.   click here to find out when we are in your region.

Your WATCH SCRAPBOOK is a message board just for your watch where you can post stories or organise a get together. 

Log in now and leave your a message for your watch.

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