Background: Living the Questions of Adult Development

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke

shedding: The First Step

Many of our clients come to us a moments when old identities no longer seem to fit, when relationships fail to satisfy, or when old work identities and partnerships no longer feel vital or productive.

"I once belonged, and now I am an outsider."
"I was once sure how to contribute, and now it's a nagging question."
"What's next to master, and do I have the energy for it?" 

In the midst of this, many of us feel a sense of emptiness and despair, while simultaneously, perhaps, excitement about the unknown.  


a literature that describes a path

Over the last forty years, a robust literature has emerged that now describes the phases of adult human development throughout the lifespan. In other words, this is not your parents' midlife crisis. Using the most sophisticated diagnostic assessments, we are able to help clients understand the path they may be walking, and grapple more clearly with the demands of these transitions. Simply knowing that others have made this journey, and what may lie ahead, is of great comfort to many.

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From discernment to action

At The Next Chapter Institute, we believe that clarity of purpose and values naturally morphs into action. After a period of immersion and reflection, our clients emerge with very specific, powerful plans about what comes next for them, or their teams, or their companies, or their relationships.

We believe that right action is best supported by a network of colleagues and critical friends. The Institute connects its clients with others into a "networked whole," supporting growth long after the client's Fellowship is over.


ACTION: Applying the PROCESS of Adult Development

We offer clients six or twelve-month Fellowships. We start with an intensive day-long meeting at the Institute to begin the assessment so we can customize the program to fit your specific needs.

Part 1: ASSESSMENTS AND A YEAR OF PERSONALIZED COACHING

Each Fellowship begin with the Maturity Assessment Profile and the Leadership Circle Profile. This initial assessment helps us delve into the global visioning and goal definition process.

Then our Fellows choose from a team of highly-qualified leadership coaches to work with for monthly individual coaching.

 


PART 2: A CYCLE OF RETREATS, A PILGRIMAGE, A COHORT

The work begins with a process unique to the Next Chapter Institute. There are three key elements:

Four RETREATS

Based on a seasonal retreat cycle that helps clients connect soul and role and self in community, fellowships include a cycle of four seasonal weekend retreats. 

ONE PILGRIMAGE

Fellows design a 1 to 2-week pilgrimage (led by Institute staff) as part of their time with us, including walking pilgrimages on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, or the Pacific Crest Trail on the California coast. 

One COHORT

Fellows are accepted in a cohort model, allowing developmental learning to be shared and networked with a tightly-knit group. Cohorts meet for learning and dining regularly throughout the Fellowship period. 


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Part 3: INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING FOR BODY, MIND, SPIRIT

Somatic awareness practices – such as yoga, meditation, and tai chi – will be recommended as part of the Fellowship, as well as the design of individualized learning around, for instance, the neurobiology of acceptance and compassion. We also offer individual intensives for women, people of color, and elderhood.