1.1 Capstone LIPD Specifications and Abstract

Hi, My name is Liam McDermott and I am a Master's student in my final/capstoner year with Gaia University.  GaiaU is an action learning university inspiring associates to document the regenerative work that is happening in their life as part of their pathway toward degrees in Integrative EcoSocial Design.  This is my sixth Output Packet (OP) and the first for my capstone year, in which, I intend to lay the framework of a year of socially responsible projects focusing upon relocalizing personal health and food systems.  During this first OP for my Capstone year, I aim to design a framework to hold the many projects that I am juggling through work, study and personal development.  Check out my GaiaU profile here where you can also link to any of my Project work from my first year of my Master's studies under "PreCapstone Output Packets".

I see the opportunity in each successive OP to document our progression as a learner, a leader/project manager and designer.  The primary thrust of this first OP, the Learning Intentions and Pathway Design (LIPD) is to design and articulate the intentions for my learnings, leadership and design for this coming year.  This OP is a setting of intentions for my Capstone journey through GaiaU and thus focuses specifically upon my progression as an Action Learner within and without Gaia University.

We at GaiaU use the term un/learnings (reads learnings and unlearnings) to acknowledge that much of our learning, especially in adulthood, is the unlearning of patterns that don't serve us.  Action learning, or learning through doing, is particularly emphasized so much of our projects  include documenting current projects in which we are engaged as opposed to regurgitating research.

Thanks for your time in reading my project.  Please feel free to leave any feedback on this site or email me: itsallgoodliam@gmail.com

I seek to design my life conscious of the flows of energy.   I hope to synthesize my skills as a permaculture designer, herbalist, nutritionist and massage therapist/healer to create an integrated system of life-coaching that reconnects humans with natural ecosystems.   Beginning with Zone 0 and the choices we make each day, I hope to share my experience to help others create sustainable, fulfilling lives.   My aspirations for this year largely surround improving my techniques with permaculture including design and land stewardship (soil management, seeds).  I am continually expanding as a healer and my current focus includes herbalism, chi gong, and reiki.   I aspire to continue as a teacher, advisor and facilitator and design courses and workshops that integrate this knowledge base to include care of the planet to empower others to learn about their own food and medicine.    In the coming years, I aspire to document successful permaculture strategies to build from Zone 0 into working ecological relationships.

In this OP, I hope to initiate a pattern of setting yearly intentions for projects and skills I would like to develop specifically during the coming year of my life, while simultaneously using this platform to create frameworks for containing aspects of lifelong projects and skillflex development.   I see this moment of Pause and Reflection inspired by this LIPD project for Intention setting as a gift of the present to brainstorm the values, skills and lifelong projects that both define me and that I wish to focus my energy upon at this point in my life .  GaiaU has inspired me to create tracking metrics to reflect upon and evaluate my own success toward the goals I articulate.  Finally, in the commentary section, I focus upon my process through creating this project.
    In addition to brainstorming my values, skills and projects which inform the bulk of three of the pages of this project.   This LIPD project includes my life context, thesis for my master’s degree, design for the LIPD itself, tracking metrics and feedback from previous OP’s that I find particularly on point.   And lastly commentary upon my own personal process through this journey.   
    Fresh out of my learning review, I recognize that I want to use my Capstone year to present and organize material/projects/experiences from my past and current life and research that relates to the scaleable relocalization of systems that create community and personal happiness and resiliency.    The prime focus within my project work is upon Holistic Health systems and responsible, sustainable Earth Stewardship principles.