Choose One Word

$150

Choose One Word

A Ritual of Becoming

What-ho and well-met, fellow mind.

In over a decade of research as a wizard, I’ve encountered much in the field of self-development that is superficial and suspect—but the Choose One Word ritual is deeply wondrous. It has a fractal quality to it—it holds stable, useful and ‘true’ (no matter how complex your life may be).

If you find yourself at a crossroad or in a rut—if you’re seeking new direction, or the means to find your groove—this online programme is for you.

You were taught to ‘dream big’, ‘set a goal’ and ‘believe in yourself’. Quaint. But maybe you’ve outgrown this?

Dreams are nice—but they can become tyrannical narratives. It’s also okay to not know exactly what you want in life. It may even be better. Besides: people change—our ‘dreams’, ‘passion’ and sense of ‘purpose’ (if we have such) are thus ‘fluid’ narratives.
Goals are fine—but they only work in stable environments. If you’re training for a competition, go nuts. But if you are attempting to find meaningful progress amidst the complexities and ambiguities of life—you need a more ‘infinite’ approach.
Self-belief is tricky—for it’s a paradox. If we believe too much in who we are, our sense of ‘identity’ can become ossified—making it harder to develop and grow. Believe in ourselves too little and, well… there’s some wisdom in that. Thus we cultivate ‘character’ instead.

Maybe you’re now trying to optimise your life with systems? Good luck. Habits and systems are great—but sometimes the systems we build to ‘optimise’ our lives become the very cages we need to break free from.

The Choose One Word programme will help you Find Your Way.

The process of Choosing One Word will see you deeply introspect and reflect upon the patterns that manifest in your life—the ways we interpret ‘who’ we are, the factors that are more likely to see us fulfilled and the sense of what might be emerging for us in the next chapter. It is a decidedly non-narrative approach to life, that is derived by understanding the very narrative fallacy we inevitably weave for ourselves.

An annual Ritual of Becoming

Enrolment will gain you lifetime access to 70+ videos to help you know & make thyself. And will thus imbue the rest of your life with new enchantment, meaning, wit, wisdom and savvy.

You don’t need to watch them all—you can find your Word in 3 minutes, 3 hours, 3 days or 3 weeks. You get to choose your own adventure.

“We understand how dangerous a mask can be. We all become what we pretend to be.”

——Bast, from The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

In some ways, the ‘Choose One Word’ programme shows you how to craft a new mask for yourself. An authentic ‘persona’, if you will. Paradoxically, we do this not to conceal who we are but rather: to reveal newer and truer facets of ourselves. And in doing so, become so.

Welcome

Welcome to the Choose One Word programme. This section will prime and orientate you for the adventures ahead.

∆ | A Quest Beckons

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∆ | Pick a Path – find your word in 3 hours, 3 days or 3 weeks

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‡ | Bonini’s Paradox & Useful Delusions (a primer)

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‡ | Why Mid-life Crises Are Happening Sooner & More Often

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Part 1 | Self Knowledge

Before we seek to make thyself, we must first know thyself. Self-knowledge is not necessarily easy, but this section offers you an array of provocations and vectors to deepen your understanding of the notion of ‘who’ you are. This is the knowledge you will use to seek/craft/find your Word.

∆ | The Book of You (your unfurling story)

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✎ | The Book of You (worksheet)

◊ | The Book of You (an extended activity)

‡ | A Non-Narrative Approach to Life (with narrative)

∆ | The Chart of You (what makes for a meaningful life?)

✎ | The Chart of You (worksheet)

‡ | Patterns of Incongruence

∆ | Finding Your Fulfilment Factors

✎ | Fulfilment Factors (worksheet)

∆ | The Negative Path to Clarity & Fulfilment

◊ | The Most Difficult Question—What Do You Want?

◊ | Self-Sabotage—Why We Get In Our Own Way

◊ | Procrastination—the Savviest Self-Sabotage

◊ Perfectionism—the Prettiest Self-Sabotage

◊ | Busyness—the Most Pernicious Self-Sabotage

◊ | Overcommitment—the Noblest Self-Sabotage

◊ | Environmental—the Circumstantial Self-Sabotage

◊ | Physiological—the Invisible Self-Sabotage

∆ | Finding Your Hidden Commitments (important)

∆ | Harvesting Dark Wisdom from Conflicting Values

◊ | You Are Not Broken —there’s nothing you need to ‘fix’

∆ | Only Now Are We Ready to begin to Choose One Word

The Incredible Power of Journalling

Journalling is an enhanced means of introspection, self-reflection and self-awareness. We'll walk through how to cultivate a practice of journalling, including:

Morning Pages
Digital and analogue methods of journalling
Noticing rhythms and patterns within your journalling, and about your journalling habits themselves: so that you can discover what works for you.

◊ | Cultivating Metacognition

◊ | Journaling for Insight

◊ | Flexing Introspection

Part 2 | Self Development

After deepening our knowledge of ourselves, we can then use this insight to lean into Self Development.

What is Self Development? Like all things, this is complex. But we might consider self-development to be that which helps us learn, grow and move closer to future relevance.

It is in this section that you will find your Word.

∆ | What is Self-Development and why bother?

∆ | Embrace a Fluid Experimental Disposition

∆ | Why This Is A Yearly Ritual (+ when to start)

◊ | How to Deepen the Power of Rituals

✎ | Contextual Momentum Model.pdf

‡ | “The Qualified Self” (& Advanced Reading)

∆ | “We understand how dangerous a mask can be.”

‡ | You Are What You Subsume (in-form yourself)

‡ | Beware the Notion of the ‘True Authentic Self’

∆ | The Pathway to Mundanity & Blandness

∆ | How to Cast a Longer Shadow

◊ | Revel in Ambiguity & the Infinite Game

∆ | Finding Your Root Word

✎ | Word Map.pdf

◊ | A Linguistic Connoisseur (like Whisky)

‡ | Words are Power (Semiotic Evocations)

◊ | How to Expand Your Vocabulary

∆ | Making Meaning Memorable (socially sticky)

‡ | Cultivating Magical Realism

◊ | Abstract Words

◊ | Active Words

◊ | Aspect Words

∆ | Archetype Words

‡ | The Many Words of Dr Fox (boring)

‡ | How to Subtly Test Your Word

◊ | Blossoming Out Potentiality

∆ | Not Too Comfortable, Not Too Cool

◊ | Choose Just One Word

∆ | Flirt with Tension & Paradox

Part 3 | Self Actualisation

This is where we make a reality of our intentionality.

This is where we manifest the distillations and percolations of self knowledge and self-development, into something that is tangible and real.

∆ | The Seasonality of this Annual Ritual

∆ | Considering the Notion of ‘Purpose’

∆ | Principles to Guide Decisions (NSFW!)

✎ | Word Principles.pdf

∆ | Intentional Patterns of Behaviour

◊ | Shaping Behaviour & Crafting Habit

‡ | How You Manifest in the Lives of Others

∆ | Projects to Project

◊ | Bringing Lightness to Your Projects

∆ | How to Avoid Advice

◊ | Enchant Yourself via Enclothed Cognition

∆ | Reconsult The Chart of You

∆ | Return to The Book of You

◊ | Interview Your Future Self

◊ | Practice Ironic Self-Indulgence

∆ | Remember: It Was Never About You

§ | What next?

Appendix

The 20/21 Update—What’s New

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◊ | A Reflective Overview-Preview

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How to Choose One Word in Less Than 3 Minutes

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(Why You Really Ought Invest More Than 3 Minutes)

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Meet Your Wizard

What-ho, hi. I’m Dr Jason Fox. You can find out more about me here on my official site, but in a nutshell: I am a metamodern wizard-philosopher masquerading as a motivational speaker and leadership advisor. I’ve lectured in three universities, written two bestselling books and was once awarded ‘Keynote Speaker of The Year’.

Nowadays—when not liberating the world from the delusion of progress—I quest to create a world more curious and kind. The urgent challenges of our times—ecological devastation, systemic inequality, and the meaning crisis—require us all to co-develop and work together at higher levels of complexity. And in the process: to get over ourselves. So: here we are!

This programme was also developed with much sense-making savvy, editing and artistic support from my vet-illustrator-spy life partner Dr Kim Lam (aka dangerlam).

FAQs

Is there a community?

I’m hesitant to create a community ‘platform’ for this—I’d rather this become a means for you to foster deeper connection within your own communities. Having said that, I do seem to attract wizard-rogues, complexity practitioners and philosopher-poets in my life. Kindred spirits all. Subscribe to my museletter to learn more and join in on the events that emerge.

Do I get all videos at once?

Yes! No need to tediously await any drip feeds. And you will also benefit from new material as Dr Fox creates them.

Can I go back to watch again?

Yes, of course. You pay just once and then you have a lifetime of benefit. The videos themselves may sometimes change as they are updated through the years—but the programme itself is yours forever. Which is handy as this is an annual ritual of becoming. Your second or third time through will open new insight for you.

Do I get any 1:1 time with Dr Fox?

Heavens no!

Do the videos have captions?

Yes! It’s easy to turn captions on whenever you like.

What’s this Ambassador-Affiliate thing I heard about?

Given that I am a hipster-wizard of post-capitalist disposition cursed with an allergy to anything that resembles effective marketing, I’ve decided to reward folks who help Spread the Word. Learn more within the programme itself.

What if I can’t afford it?

This kind of programme could easily have a $499 price tag on it—but I want it to reach as many people as it can (in a way that still has you invested in your self). Having said that, if you want in on the programme but truly can’t afford it, please get in touch and we’ll give you access for free.