How are you using GPS in your life?

by Eileen Terry

No, I am not talking about your auto device that takes you to the nearest Starbucks or restaurant. I am talking about your playful, intentional use of time, attention and intention. About locating where you are in your life and insuring you are on course/purpose with where you want to be.

The great thing about a GPS device is that when we find ourselves lost or not knowing how to get somewhere we simply enter our destination and hit a button. Suddenly, precise directions appear. We follow them and the end result is where we need to be.

Wouldn't it be cool to have a "Life Purpose System" (GPS)?

Well now you can. It starts with developing your own purpose, intention statement, and your destination. What are those goals you want to achieve? What values are non-negotiable as you navigate your way? What are the relationships intrinsic to your desired outcomes and how intentional are you in being able to describe them?

Are you clear on your goals and targets? Are they specific enough to measure? Do you have a timeline to get there?

One of my clients told me that I, as her coach, was her very own GPS, her personal navigation system. Keeping her on track, when she occasionally found herself on a more ohhh, shall we say scenic route. She liked having a guide, a muse, an accountability partner. It helped her stay focused, while continuing to make progress.

I would suggest that she actually is developing her own GPS, simply using my guidance to assist her. While each of us wants to pursue those things that are important to us, some of us just don't know how to get started. Some start but struggle with staying on track. Commonly, a process begins but does not come to fruition because we don?t know where we are, where we want to go or what we want to happen. Therefore, we tend to start with the end in mind and then plot the route to get there.

The idea of using a certified coach is to help you identify your destination with clarity. If you aren't specific with a GPS, it can?t plot the course for you to take. But, once plotted, it will be there for you. It will also be able to adjust or adapt to unexpected detours and traffic jams but always with your end in mind.

So, take a test drive. Call up a life or executive coach and see if you can find that the mapping of your life becomes a lot more specific, and you find yourself actually going directly to the places you desire!