Activate your compass

Do you have a compass?

Who needs one?

What good does it do?

1. Get Centred

The compass is not just a tool where you pick up and then pray it would take you somewhere. Finding your bearing is required to get you started. A compass consists of an external dial which comprises the 4 directions N, S, E, W and another dial of degrees. As you turn the dial, a red arrow turns with it but the red needle of the compass stays in position. Right at the top is the "tab". Turn the dial to align the direction (N, S, E, W) you are seeking, with the tab. Then move the whole compass slowly till the red needle fits into the red arrow. Some call it "red in the shed". That is how you will know which way to follow to walk to your desired direction.

Getting centred before you know which way to head forward is like finding your groove - at a certain point in time. Take a little introspection. Figure out your inbalance. Know yourself.

• Am I happy where I am?
• What am I most happy doing?
• What would make me happy?
• What is that one small adjustment that could give me the best lift now?
• What (if any) has held me back so far?

2. Get focused

Once you have a sense of the direction, it may be good to lock in a landmark. See it as setting a milestone. The first landmark you pick could be something more visible, something that is within your comfort to ideate or visualise. After getting a sense of your bearing or what are some of the things you enjoy doing or can do effortlessly, get focused to challenge yourself to make it happen by when.

Rather than making up excuses with what you can't do, get ready for your trip. Work out :

• What am I good at doing?
• What do I enjoy doing?
• What needs to get done for me to get to my next nearest milestone?
• What am I most motivated to learn to get me closer to my milestone?

3. Get advice

A compass works well on its own if you are just looking for a sense of direction but if you are in for a real adventure, a map could be the compass' best friend. If you would want to tap on the wisdom of others who have been on this path or unchartered territory, reach out to someone who has been there or done that or have the subject matter expertise.

It is your choice what areas of interest you wish to explore - rivers, mountains, wild life, forests, etc. We live in such a connected world today that a sincere outreach with a clear purpose over Linkedin could save you a lot of unnecessary time and risks.

Find your support ally:

• Is there someone who share my same interests?
• Is there someone who have been through similar circumstances?
• Is there someone who is already very successful at something I aspire to be or do?
• Is there someone who simply is empowered and rises above?
• Is there someone whom I can learn from?

Some like it a little slower to smell the roses so a compass and/or a map could simply be a good contingency when you do get lost.

4. Get adventurous

Using a compass is navigating life. You are in control of your own journey because you dictate where you want to go. How you get there could bring you very different experiences, builds your character and show you things you never thought existed.

Be adventurous by getting out of your comfort zone. You are still staying on course with the help of your compass but you could try some detours and keep your eyes open to discover more along your journey. If those detours don't work out, your compass can bring you back to the main track. Grow that curiosity.

• How can I leverage my strengths?
• How can I partner with others to synergise?
• What could I try to amplify my vision?
• How uncomfortable can I get?
• When was the last time I learnt from getting out of my comfort zone?

5. Get ambitious

It's not about making the next 10 million but more about finding that authentic ambition, your true north. It is your internal compass, unique to you, representing who you are at your deepest level. Dare to dream and follow your north star. Knowing the why (the purpose) will make you more authentic and be that powerful magnet to possibilities and others.

• Why do I want what I want?
• Why do I do what I do?
• What do I really want?
• Who do I really want to be?
• What means most to me daily, weekly, monthly, yearly?
• What can I do to make a difference for myself and in my life?

I hope the above stimulates some food for reflection. In such challenging pandemic times for ourselves and the people around us, we need a more advanced compass more than ever. At the most basic level, it could be simply serve as a sanity check. In the advanced mode, we seek creative ways to elevate ourselves and those we care for. Your internal compass is as helpful as you use it. Reaping its benefits comes with practice and experience. You are the master of your compass so you control your agility of how you empower it. Getting your compass out there is the best way to discover what you don't know you don't know which often includes what you did not know about your potential. We are not born to know where our North star is so activate your compass to find it. It's a moving target.