Before the great explorers of old set out on their journeys they would always draw a map of the territory they were about to enter: where was the food and the water? Where were the deserts and the swamps, the helpful people and the dangerous ones? Even a sketch map was better than no map at all.
These times of change that we are living through are a bit like this. Nobody can predict what is going to happen tomorrow, let alone a week or a month from now. We have all become explorers. And like those great explorers of old, we will all succeed better if we have a sketch map to guide us.
In our case, the map we need is not a map of our outer physical world but rather a map of our inner emotional world: it’s a reminder of the things that matter most to us, that we can use to keep us grounded, aligned, and inspired, no matter what might happen around us.
The final chapter of Inner Leadership shows you how to draw this map uniquely for yourself, by pulling together the key elements of everything you have explored in the book:
- What you are working to create: your inspiring vision
- Why this matters to you — your purpose
- How you are going to make this journey — your values
- How this will contribute to you living a worthwhile life — and the actions you are taking to achieve that
- The key facts and quotes that inspire you to move forward each day
- The people who can help you achieve your vision, and what they need to feel motivated and inspired
- How you will keep yourself centred, grounded, and connected with your priorities as you move forward
By mapping these key landmarks now, you give yourself something to refer to when you get lost — a map that helps you quickly orient yourself, then move forward in the right direction.
The workbook provides a template that you can use to record your answers: a place to refer to when you need to consult your map.
And like those great explorers of old, you can always update your map as you move forward.
Creating your own customised inspiration map will help you navigate this time of change better. It is another way of becoming antifragile: able to use change to become stronger and more valuable.
Do you have a clear map of what motivates and inspires you and how you are using this to navigate your life? Would it be useful to create one?
Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in times of change.
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(And remember: you can’t learn to swim just by reading about swimming, you also need to do the practice.)
Photo By Public Record Office of Northern Ireland via StockPholio.net