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 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 that we are living through can be a bit like this. Nobody can predict what is going to happen tomorrow, let alone next week or next month. We have all become explorers. And like those great explorers of old, we will succeed better if we have a 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: a reminder of the things that matter most to us, that we can use to keep us on track, grounded, and inspired, no matter what is happening in the world.
The final chapter of Inner Leadership shows you how to draw this map uniquely for yourself, by pulling together everything you have learned 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 help you to live a worthwhile life (as defined by you)
- The key quotes and facts that inspire you to move forward each day
- The people who can help you to 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 out these landmarks now, you give yourself something to refer to when you get lost : a way to quickly reorient yourself and move forward again in the right direction.
The playbook or workbook that accompanies The Churning, Inner Leadership gives you a template where you can record your answers: an easily accessible resource when you need to consult your map.
And like those great explorers of old, you can always update your map as you move forward and discover more.
Even if it’s just a sketch, creating your own customised inspiration map will help you to navigate this time of change better. It is another way of becoming antifragile: able to use change to become stronger and more inspired.
Do you have a clear map of what motivates and inspires you to navigate these times of change? Would it be helpful to create one?
Adapted from The Churning, Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time 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