Before the great explorers of old set out on their journeys they would always draw a map of the territories they were about to enter: where was the food and the drinkable 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 like this. Nobody can predict what is going to happen tomorrow, let alone a year’s time. We have all become explorers.
And like those ancient explorers, we will succeed better if we have a sketch map to take with us.
In our case, the map we need to take is not a map of the outer physical world but rather a map of our own inner world: a reminder of what will keep us grounded, focused, motivated, and aligned on the priorities that matter most to us, no matter what might happen around us.
The final chapter of Inner Leadership shows us how to draw this map uniquely for ourselves.
It pulls together the key features of everything we explore 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 what actions you are taking to achieve that
- Key facts and quotes that inspire you to move forward
- The people who are essential to achieving 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
The workbook provides a simple template that you can use to fill this out.
By mapping these key landmarks before you set out you give yourself something to refer to if you get lost — a tool that enables you to quickly reorient and realign yourself.
This is another way to become antifragile.
And like the explorers of old, you can add to your map as you move forward.
Do you have a clear map of what motivates and inspires you and how to apply that in 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 don’t learn to swim by reading about swimming, you also need to practice.)
Photo By Public Record Office of Northern Ireland via StockPholio.net