Since the first week in October, I've been making my way to downtown San Francisco every Tuesday night at 6:30pm to meetIMG_0948 with a group of people and share ideas, goals, and encouragement.

I'll admit, it isn't always easy to find the will to make the trek. It requires me to get myself to the BART  station, purchase the $9.00 round-trip ticket, and sit for the 35 minute trip to the Civic Center/UN Plaza Station. After our meeting, I must make the trek all over again, and I don't usually arrive home until well after 9pm. But while I may feel a little lazy and reluctant beforehand, I never feel anything but energized and motivated afterwards.

The group is an informal one, centered around the teachings of the popular author, public speaker and blogger Seth Godin, and the agenda is set by courses outlined in his online education model Krypton Community College. Each course runs four weeks and is based on a specific topic. Coursework is provided in the form of combined material from TED talks, blog posts, best-selling books, and more, and each course is designed to take place in person. The program itself was created by a network group of individuals working over a period of 16 days to put together something meaningful and unique (check out the video at the end of this post to learn more about the Krypton Project Team). In our Tuesday Krypton group, we've covered three topics so far:

Course 001: Seth Godin on Shipping - How to Overcome Fear, Pick Yourself, & Start a Project that Matters

Course 002: Malcolm Gladwell on the Sociology of Success

Course 003: Gretchen Rubin on Happiness

As chance would have it, we've discussed all of these topics here at BTF—we talk a lot about overcoming fear and doing something you care about, and we've highlighted both Malcom Gladwell's David and Goliath theory and Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. So I've felt a personal connection to the subject matter all along, and I've been able to offer insights I've gained from material I've used on this blog. How's that for serendipity?

During our meetings, we talk about our strengths, our weaknesses, our goals, our desires to change careers, create something of our own, and how we can make a difference within our workplaces and the world around us. We haven't achieved anything spectacular just yet, but we have accomplished a few small things. One of us conquered her fear of putting herself out there and joined a running group that meets every Sunday in SF—and in doing so, met a new best friend. Another one of us reduced her text message backlog from 50+ to just around 20 (she's still working on it). I buckled down and chose a blog theme, after much trial and debate.

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These accomplishments are small, yes, but they still matter—they've still made a difference in our lives. And we may not have successfully achieved them without the support and encouragement of each other.

I used to think that a network group was synonymous with suits and business; restricted to a gathering of "professionals" looking for business connections and advancement. That definition can describe a particular network group, but I've come to realize that a network group can be anything you want it to be. It can be a book club based on victorian novels, a group of aspiring entrepreneurs looking for accountability, a community garden, a handful of writers needing readers and feedback, some friends taking turns hosting dinners and sharing recipes, or an online tech chat room where members can share questions and solutions.

IMG_0466_2All of these definitions qualify as network groups, as do countless others. It really doesn't matter what the premise is; as long your group is made up of individuals who share common interests, and the reason you gather is to share information, provide mutual assistance, support and motivation, you've got a network group. So don't be afraid to reach out, share your work and your ideas, and take advantage of the resources a network group can offer.

Watch the video below if you'd like to learn a little bit more about Seth Godin's revolutionary education program, the dynamic group of people that came together to create it, and how you can lead a Krypton group of your own.

 

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