The practices

One exercise for every chapter.

Each of these is concrete and short. None of them asks you to understand anything. They ask you to write something down, or go somewhere, or say something to a person.

• 01Six endings15 minFinish "the crossing in front of me is" six different ways, then keep the one that costs the most.
• 02Three crossings in nature15 minName three crossings in the natural world, then one in your own life that follows the same pattern.
• 03The case for going15 minWrite one paragraph defending this crossing to someone who thinks you should not make it.
• 04Map a crossing you made20 minWrite one line for each of the five stages as you lived them, and mark where you nearly turned back.
• 05Two realms20 minDescribe the realm you live in now in five plain sentences, then the realm next door in five more.
• 06Ten honest lines20 minWrite ten sentences about yourself you would not put on a public profile. Factual, not harsh.
• 07Who actually knows10 minList the people you talk to in a normal week and mark who knows what you are considering.
• 08Twenty minutes on foot20 minWalk where you live. Write down three things you had stopped noticing and one person you could speak to.
• 09Who carried you15 minWrite about a time you were carried by people who were not obliged to carry you, and name them.
• 10The smallest yes10 minWrite the smallest yes you could give this week without knowing the plan, then put it on your calendar.
• 11Rewrite the question15 minWrite the question you are actually asking, then rewrite it as: what does God want here?
• 12The promise in one sentence10 minWrite the promise you are holding in one sentence, say it out loud, then write what changed.
• 13An ordinary Tuesday20 minWrite two hundred words describing a normal day on the other side of this crossing.
• 14Fear inventory20 minList what you are afraid of losing, no editing, then underline the one with the most power over you.
• 15Name the doubt15 minWrite the doubt you are carrying in one plain sentence, as if introducing it by name.
• 16Two voices20 minTwo columns: what the accusing voice says, and what the truthful voice answers. Read the second aloud.
• 17No model15 minWrite what it costs you that nobody around you has made this crossing, and what it frees you to do.
• 18People audit20 minTwo lists, who supports this crossing and who resists it, with one line each on why.
• 19Build the foray25 minPlan the smallest real version of your crossing: date, place, cost, who goes with you, who you debrief with.
• 20Outside and inside10 minWrite the external crossing in one sentence and the internal one in one sentence. Mark which was harder.
• 21Name the kind15 minDecide which kind of crossing yours is, then list two things that changes about how you prepare.
• 22Go and look20 minFind one place or person already living in the realm you are crossing into, and set the date you will go.
• 23Send the message20 minWrite the five-sentence message you would send to someone who has already crossed. Then send it.
• 24Three deposits15 minName three things earlier crossings left in you, and write the crossing that left each one.
• 25What only going could teach15 minWrite what you believed about this crossing a month ago, and what you know now.
• 26Verdict or material25 minWrite a failure in three paragraphs: what happened, what it cost, what it taught. Read the third aloud.
• 27The shortcut10 minWrite the shortcut you keep looking for, then the part of the process it would let you skip.
• 28Beginner's questions10 minWrite three questions you would ask if you were the least experienced person in the room.
• 29Where vision outran character20 minName one place your vision is running ahead of your character, and the practice that closes the gap.
• 30Places you could take someone15 minList what you have been through that you could take another person into. Star one for this year.
• 31Courage this week15 minWrite the last thing that frightened you, then what courage would look like there this week.
• 32One repeatable practice10 minChoose one practice you will do weekly for a month. Write the day and hour, then calendar it.
• 33Place or crossing15 minWrite what you are chasing, then decide honestly whether it is a place you want or a crossing you will make.
• 34The cost of one more year15 minWrite what another year in the same place would cost you, in specifics, not feelings.
• 35Responsive or compulsive20 minList the moves you have made in five years and mark each one responsive or compulsive.
• 36The strongest argument20 minWrite the argument that keeps you where you are in its strongest form, then your one-line answer to it.
• 37The forgiveness step15 minName the relationship that needs forgiveness, then write the one step you can take this week.
• 38Authority you didn't announce20 minWrite three times you carried weight for someone without being asked to and without mentioning it after.
• 39One sentence they need15 minName one person in a stage you have already crossed and write the one sentence they need from you.
• 40Who nobody is looking for15 minWrite the name of one person nobody is looking for, and what looking for them would cost you this month.
• 41Letter from the other shore25 minWrite a letter to yourself from the person you will be after this crossing. Bring it to the last meeting.