A Connected World starts with a Connected Self (Part 2)

Before my first coaching session, Susie asked me to fill in a questionnaire so she could get a sense of where I was, what I wanted and what was frustrating me.

I believe she referred to my end deliverable as “a tome”. Let’s just say – it was extensive. I may have used it as a bit of a cathartic rant but the one thing that I was absolutely convinced about this: I was in the wrong career.

What I really wanted was connection! At the time, I could not see how my career in technology could enable deeper connections.

The irony is that I work in the Internet Of Things (IoT) practice in my organisation, which provides solutions for a “Connected World”. We achieve this by placing sensors on things to collect data, which is then transmitted to a cloud-based IoT platform, where it’s analysed to provide actionable insights. A connected world enables autonomous vehicles and smarter cities.

But I was longing for a different kind of connected world. One where I’m having deeper conversations with my colleagues, clients, friends and family. One where I feel purposeful and can make an impact out in the world. Most of all, where I use my natural strengths every day to help others.

What I’ve learned through coaching is this connected world starts with a connected self.

We have our own inbuilt sensors, located in our hearts and our gut. They constantly send data to our brains - the most advanced IoT platform ever. The problem was, I had disconnected mine years ago. I just didn’t trust them. Instead, I was making decisions based on my past experiences. Or rather, my interpretation of those experiences. Each interpretation was a story I was telling myself. The problem is - all that information is full of bias and does not represent reality!

No wonder that making decisions caused me to feel anxious, worrying I would make mistakes and constantly fearing I had made the wrong choice! There was a complete disconnect between my sensors and how I processed what was happening in the world.

The truth is, now that I live in a Connected Self, decision making is much easier. I know what I need to do each day to bring me joy and fulfilment. Each decision I take serves as a data gathering opportunity, free of judgement or fear of failure. I take some action, gather evidence and feedback about how I feel and continuously adapt to keep moving closer to my goal. My IoT platform is firing on all cylinders to provide me with actionable insights!

I have a vision for the next generation Connected World. It is one where we are connected to our bodies, our spirit and our hearts first. We are connected to what brings us joy and to our personal strengths. We are connected to other humans and our communities. We are connected to our food chain and supply chain. We are connected to our planet.

It's time to reconnect to our inner sensors.