Masterclass to Create Your Sea Chart
Donald (Don) Stevens, MBA, SPHR, ICF-PCC
Executive Coach | Conscious Leadership | Secret Fire | Positive Disruptor | Values Based Decision Making | Resilience | Belonging | DE&I | Change Management | Acceptance | 3,500+ hours helping clients achieve success
Approximate Read Time: 15 minutes
The Big Idea: The article emphasizes the significance of self-awareness, embracing impermanence, and cultivating a growth mindset in navigating personal and professional growth, particularly during mid to late career changes. It introduces a four-step framework to discover values and highlights the importance of envisioning. By combining these elements, you can successfully forge deeper, strategic relationships that are foundational in successful career transformation.
Masterclass to Create Your Sea Chart
Are you considering changing careers in the middle or later stages of your professional life? If so, it's crucial to have a plan to reach your desired destination. This article introduces a four-step framework for personal and professional growth, particularly during mid to late career changes, emphasizing the significance of self-awareness, embracing impermanence, and cultivating a growth mindset. The importance of envisioning and discovering values is also highlighted. By combining these elements, you can successfully create your sea chart and forge deeper, strategic relationships that are foundational in successful career transformation.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is the anchor for living a genuine life, as it necessitates releasing our self-expectations and embracing our true nature. To gain insight into our genuine selves, we can examine the concept of Dukkha in Buddhism, which pertains to the turmoil of change or suffering that emerges from our attachment to temporary things.
Impermanence refers to the fact that nothing in the world is permanent, stable, or unchanging. The concept of impermanence and the ever-changing nature of existence is like the ebb and flow of the ocean tides. Therefore, "storms of impermanence" represent the difficult experiences that shape and transform us, much like a ship weathering a storm at sea. These storms may be challenging and turbulent, but they are also an essential part of our voyage and offer opportunities for growth and transformation. Through mindfulness and self-reflection, we can learn to navigate these storms with grace and skill, cultivating resilience and wisdom along the way.
By reflecting on our storms of impermanence, where there has been change and we have prolonged our own suffering by failing to let go, we can achieve a better understanding of the values and beliefs that have molded us into our current selves. Here’s an activity that can be useful in this process of self-discovery:
Step 1
Get a piece of paper and draw a line down the length of it to represent the timeline of your life.
Step 2
Identify three or four “storms of impermanence'' in your life and note these on the timeline. Think about the twists and turns of your journey, the crests and the troughs. Consider the times you perceived as shipwrecks and what you learned from them.
Step 3
Identify a few goals you would put at the future end of your timeline.
Step 4
What do these storms of impermanence and your future goals say about your values? Jot down some of your values based on your experiences, the turmoil of change, and your acceptance of impermanence. Through introspection, you can reflect on how these encounters with Dukkha and impermanence have ultimately contributed to your growth and development, much like a sailor learning from the challenges faced at sea. Conversely, you may also want to reflect on where you may have been adrift and why. It takes bravery to see your genuine self and lean into authenticity.
Opting for authenticity means fostering the courage to face the swells of change, to establish boundaries like navigational markers, and to be vulnerable. It also entails practicing compassion and cultivating connections with others, much like a crew supporting each other during a voyage. By engaging in this process of self-discovery, you can chart a more gratifying course and forge deeper relationships with those accompanying you on your journey.
Powerful Practices for Envisioning
Envisioning is the act of charting a course for the future. Envisioning is essential because it is only through deliberately imagining a future that is different from the present that we can change our lives for the better, much like a captain steering a ship toward new horizons.
Karma is the belief that our actions have consequences, and the future is shaped by our present choices. Envisioning allows us to create a mental map of our desired future, which can guide our actions in the present and lead us to positive outcomes, just as a skilled navigator plots the best route.
Envisioning has two critical stages:
Stage 1: Envisioning new possibilities for the future, like uncharted waters.
Stage 2: Turning possibilities into realities, as a ship reaches its destination.
The literature has shown that being able to consider new possibilities, or narratives, for one’s future leads to greater growth, well-being, and goal attainment, much like a crew adapting to unforeseen challenges at sea. It can even help you bounce back from hardship and loss.
Here are a few resources to provide some guidance on how to effectively conduct Envisioning like an experienced sailor navigating unexplored waters:
Though there are many other activities and resources, think of these exercises as a starting point for your Envisioning journey, much like setting sail from the safety of the harbor into the vast open sea.
Values
Discovering Your Values and Integrating Them into Your Work - Embark on this four-step process to unveil what truly matters to you and harmonize those values with your work. The insights you gain may surprise you as you navigate these uncharted waters!
Undoubtedly, work will not always be smooth sailing. However, if your work resonates with your deepest values, the challenges you face will become worthwhile. Again, embracing impermanence, you can learn to accept change and grow through difficulties, much like adapting to shifting currents. As a result, your sense of personal fulfillment and accomplishment will flourish, and burnout will dissipate.
Venture into the four steps below to discern what is most significant to you and connect those values to your work. You might be astonished at the transformation it brings, akin to discovering new horizons:
Step 1:
Bring forward your envisioning work to call out your core values. Core values embody who you are and reflect your current sense of self. They are not your ideal future or what you think you ought to be. They represent what holds the most meaning for you, much like discovering one's true nature, or finding your guiding star.? Discovering one's true nature refers to realizing the fundamental aspects of one's own mind and the nature of reality.? Tathata (Suchness) is the recognition of the true nature of reality as it is, without imposing your own ideas or concepts on it.?
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If you prioritize society's expectations over your own, identifying your core values can be challenging. To clear away distractions and navigate through the fog, ask yourself these questions with mindfulness:
Step 2:
With your fundamental values emerging, journal your organization's values. If you're unable to list them clearly, you might need to consult your leader, mentor or trusted advisor or reflect on your personal experiences with the company, employing mindfulness and self-awareness, like navigating by the stars.
Your organization's workplace culture and climate often mirror what is most valued, like a compass guiding a ship.
Step 3:
Now that you have a clearer understanding of your company's core values, it's time to examine their alignment with your own. Studies show that companies whose core values align with their employees' values enjoy higher employee retention rates, inspire greater productivity and innovation, and attract top talent, just as a well-aligned crew works harmoniously together.
Step 4:
Develop an action plan to guide you in harmonizing your values with your job, like plotting a course to reach your destination. From altering how you communicate with colleagues to seeking advice from different sources, discover new ways to have your values acknowledged. Take a moment to journal the first few ideas that come to mind.
Be courageous and discuss your needs with your leader, like a captain communicating with their crew, to identify the best ways to address them. They can also help pinpoint areas where your organization can grow, fostering compassion and interconnectedness.
Even if the conversation doesn't yield immediate results, you can gain valuable insights into whether your aspirations align with your organization's ideals. You can either work together to create meaningful change or seek out positions that resonate with your core values, following the path of wisdom and compassion. May you find success on your journey!"
Embarking on the Voyage of Self-Transformation
Contrary to the prevailing winds of popular belief, innate talent alone does not chart the course to success. Rather, cultivating a "growth mindset" is the key to navigating one's potential and reaching one's desired destination. The concept of self-cultivation is a crucial aspect of the path towards enlightenment, inner peace, and harmony with the universe. This process often involves meditation, mindfulness, introspection, moral cultivation, and the practice of virtues like compassion, patience, and humility. Similarly, a growth mindset encourages the ongoing refinement of abilities and the pursuit of learning through unwavering dedication and effort.
The True North of Growth Mindset
A growth mindset can also be likened to the ever-changing currents of the self, where individuals acknowledge the potential for transformation in their abilities and talents. Coined by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, the term "growth mindset" conveys the belief that we can nurture and enhance our skills through steadfast commitment and hard work. This perspective stands in contrast to a "fixed mindset," in which individuals believe their talents and abilities are anchored and unchangeable.
Sailing Together Towards Growth
Organizations, too, can hoist the sails of a growth mindset, fostering the belief that the abilities of their crew can be developed and sharpened. By charting courses for skill development, organizations with a growth mindset create a shared desire for learning and a readiness to work towards common objectives. Cultivating a growth mindset, whether as an individual or an organization, involves intentional navigation towards the desired mindset.
The Significance of a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset aligns with the concepts of interconnectedness and self-improvement, much like a ship and its crew depend on one another. It is a crucial element of success, as intellect and talent alone cannot ensure smooth sailing. By embracing a growth mindset, you can develop a passion for learning and the belief that your present abilities are merely the starting point for future growth. This mindset nurtures resilience and perseverance, key qualities for success on the high seas of work and life.
A growth mindset also contributes to crew satisfaction. A culture of growth empowers crew members to sail beyond their perceived limitations within a supportive environment. Organizations that champion a growth mindset cultivate trust and ownership among their crew, ultimately enhancing job satisfaction.
Furthermore, a growth mindset charts the course for innovation and risk-taking. Unfettered by the constraints of perfectionism, individuals with a growth mindset embrace the learning process and thrive in navigating challenges, even if it means making mistakes along the journey. Carol Dweck's research emphasizes that organizations with a growth mindset experience higher levels of innovative thinking and risk-taking among their crew and teams.? For you, a powerful tool in your career transition to stay positive and on course.
Cultivating a Growth Mindset: Navigational Tips for the Voyage
Acknowledge that a growth mindset can be developed. Similar to the adaptable nature of the self or the inherent ability of an individual to adjust or modify their thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and emotional responses in response to new situations, experiences, or environments, a growth mindset can be cultivated through practice and reflection. Begin by taking small steps, such as enrolling in a challenging course or seeking feedback from your leader or a trusted advisor.
Adjust your compass. Replace negative self-talk with a growth-oriented narrative, perceiving setbacks and challenges as opportunities for growth. Embrace negative feedback as a source of guidance to help you overcome obstacles and develop new skills.
For hiring managers, incorporate growth into the crew selection process. Rather than focusing solely on credentials and experience, search for crew members who exhibit potential, a love for challenges, and a desire to collaborate. A workforce ready to grow and embrace challenges will equip your team and organization to face future storms.
Implement a growth mindset thoughtfully. Steer clear of excessive intervention, as it can be counterproductive. Foster a culture of growth through subtle actions, such as clearly communicating skill expectations, offering learning opportunities, and providing feedback on effort.
Embracing the adaptable nature of the self, understanding impermanence, and cultivating a growth mindset are essential ingredients for personal and professional growth. By engaging in self-reflection, identifying your core values, and charting your desired future, you can successfully navigate the ever-changing tides of life and work. Ultimately, embarking on the voyage of self-transformation requires courage, vulnerability, and a commitment to learning. By developing a growth mindset and embracing the adaptable nature of the self, you can chart a more gratifying course in life and work, fostering deeper connections with others and cultivating a meaningful sense of accomplishment.
About the Author
I’m Don Stevens, an executive coach, who focuses on aligning individuals with their purpose, values, goals, and beliefs in their leadership roles. My coaching approach considers leadership as a spiritual practice, and I empower my clients to create performance strategies that reduce blocking energy and raise inner awareness. I am known for my ability to think creatively and help clients find solutions from within. My mission is to help leaders share their unique gifts with the world and speak in their most powerful voice. Learn more at https://www.olorincoaching.com/ .?