Welcome to Day 4 of the 31 Day Series “Creating Your Motivational Map.” You are well on your way to creating a simple, one page map that will guide you on your journey to success. Now that you’ve named your Everest – you will need essential gear to get you to the top. For the next few days, I am going to review all the items you need for your journey, and it will be up to you to gather them. Experienced hikers take careful inventory of what they need to bring with them on the journey. To lighten the load, they may arrange for “mail-stops” where they stop along the trail to pick up additional food and supplies. This requires planning and anticipation of their needs. Not anticipating personal needs is one of the major reasons I see people fall down and quit before reaching their goals. So, again, this pre-planning checklist is essential for the journey – don’t skip these steps.
The first thing that goes into my back-pack when getting ready for a trip is my map and compass.
We are already working on our M.A.P….. so what is a compass? A compass is an instrument that you can hold in your hand, and no matter where you stand on Earth, it will point toward the North Pole. Having a compass that will point you towards your goal no matter how mixed up and lost you get is essential….. and, in creating your Motivational Action Plan – a compass isn’t so much of a what, as it is a “Who.”
Who is your compass?
It might take you a while to find a good compass who points you in the right direction. It took a while to find mine, but now I have a couple compasses that I rely on when ever I am feeling off track, feel like I am walking in circles, or need reassurance that I am on the right path. One is my husband, and the other is my coach. You will know when you find your perfect compass because this person never lets you lose sight of your goals – always points you in the right direction, and you feel magnetized and energetic when talking with them.
A few years ago, while on the journey of building my business, I came to a major crossroads. The path I had been traveling on had become incredibly rocky. My husband had gone through a major medical procedure and had spent some significant time in the hospital, which left us with hefty medical bills. I was struggling building my business to the point where it could be sustainable. I was working a second job as a part-time consultant, and they offered me a full time position. I was working too hard, and was getting burned out and fatigued. The crossroads came up where I could take a full time consulting job, and give up on my dream of becoming an entrepreneur, or keep going down the same rocky road I was on…. so I reached out to a few people for support.
First, I had coffee with my friend. She listened with empathy to my struggles, she nodded her head when I explained to her the gravity of my situation, and she offered me a kleenex when my eyes welled up when I told her I was contemplating quitting. Her advice? “Priscilla! Keep going! You have worked so hard! Don’t quit now! Jump and the net will appear! Quit your part-time consulting job and focus on your business 100%. Once you close that door, new opportunities will open up! You can do it!”
My second call was to my business coach. He listened to me, he nodded his head, and he let me carry on for about two minutes – then he stopped me. He pulled out my M.A.P. He pointed to my goal. He reminded me of where I am going, and he asked me how I planned on getting there without any resources. I was running out of money – I was drained spiritually, and I was tired. It’s irresponsible to enter the 100 Mile Wilderness with no supplies – why would you keep going? Stop and replenish girl!
While my friend was beautiful and encouraging – my coach was right. He never let me lose sight of my goal, he kept me on the right track, but he also recognized my need for nourishment. I needed to refuel. I took the full time consultant job, and I marked my location on my M.A.P. The journey hasn’t ended – I’m just taking care of myself so I can get there.
Your assignment today – start shopping for a good compass. One who will always keep your goal in mind, and will pull out your M.A.P. with you when you are lost, twisted around or going in circles. One who will point you in the right direction, but not cheer-lead you deeper into the woods. One that can lead you up to a vista and point you in the direction of your dreams. This person can be a mentor, guide or coach, but I would strongly suggest that unless they can remain 100% objective, to choose someone other than a friend or family member. Your friends and family members first instincts are to encourage you, and protect you. A coach or guides priority is to help you have a great adventure and arrive safely.
If you’d like to learn more about my coaching services – contact me. I’d be happy to review your goal with you and assist you in finding the perfect compass.
Day 7 - Creating Your Motivational Map - Clear the Trail - Blazing Trails Coaching
[…] On day four, I told the story of when I was at a cross roads, and my coach pointed me towards my goal, and reminded me of my objectives. When I came to him, he recognized that my issue was a polarity. Polarities are two equally attractive possibilities that act in tension with each other. On one hand, I could quit my part-time consulting job and leap so I could work on my struggling business full time…. or, I could accept a full time consulting job, and refuel my resources. The downfall of my friend was she saw my cross roads as a puzzle that had to be solved, and my coach saw my situation as a polarity that needed to be managed. He recognized that in order to reach my goals, I needed to clear some trails. […]