Discover Your Path to Purpose
The Journey Begins
We continue our exploration of the Hero’s Journey this month, with a revisit to the start of the journey: to examine where it all began. Each of us is on our own journey, whether we’re consciously navigating our route, or following the well-worn path in front of us. That’s part of the beauty of the hero’s journey: while it’s uniquely ours, it’s also universal.
I was on retreat this weekend: what a gift to be back in the thoughtful company of others. To explore, to discuss, and to reflect on where we’ve been, and where we’re headed. The last year and ½ has challenged each of us in different ways, and so many of us are called to re-examine our path and our purpose.
What’s your journey? What are you being called to do?
If you expand your vision – take a step back and really look at how you’re spending your time and energy, is it aligned with where you want to be headed? Are you on the right path? If not – what steps can you take today to redirect to a path that’s more aligned with the true, authentic you?
We love Martha Beck, a Harvard-trained sociologist, world-renowned coach, and New York Times bestselling author. We’ve followed Martha’s work for years – before either of us knew we’d end up in the world of coaching and helping people achieve their dreams.
In a recent blog, Beck outlined four steps to open yourself up to opportunities that you might otherwise miss. With just a little extra mindfulness, you might find it easier to access.
Step 1: Discover your hot tracks
Beck encourages us to list every activity that absorbs us, that grabs our attention. We often ask people in our coaching:
What’s something that you love to do – something that when you get involved in it, you lose all track of time?
How would you choose to spend your time each day, if money weren’t a factor?
Step 2: Predict the next track
Look around your workplace and home for opportunities that foster a happy state of absorption. We encourage people to NOT think in terms of job title, but in terms of job content: what are the things you love to do? And what are you great at doing? Where’s the intersect? Don’t let job titles stand in your way!
Step 3: Return to the last hot track & repeat step 2
Beck recommends if one hot spot doesn’t fit, look at a new or different one.
Step 4: Follow your tracks wherever they lead
Take a leap of faith. Define the path for yourself. Find opportunities to leverage your gifts, to be “in the zone” and do what you love.
We have a colleague who did just this: she took her lifetime love of art, and her business experience and channeled them into a creative career as a corporate artist: creating visual maps to help employees understand everything from corporate strategy to the visual representation for significant change initiatives. She loves what she does, and her company has the gift of being able to “speak” to employees in a new and innovative way.
If you’re looking for further inspiration, we also like these questions from the website Soul Salt, by Lyn Christian. Christian, the former Director of Innovation at Franklin Covey Coaching, and former ambassador for the World Association for Business Coaches, asks us to take a deeper look at what drives us.
The last question is "What makes you angry?" This is an interesting question because strong emotions can be a cue that there’s something we need to pay attention to – in our lives, or workplace – or more likely in ourselves. Do you wake up dreading the workday, or grimace as you look at your calendar? What if you could spend your days doing work that fills you up, rather than drains you? What if you could become like Stephanie, the corporate artist, and define a role that brings the very best of you in each day?
Think it sounds impossible? It’s not.
Step one: dream it. Step two: design it.
Step three: talk about it.
And if you’re not ready for whole scale change just yet, take action on a smaller scale: what just bugs the heck out of you? Don’t like how long it takes to get things approved at your company? Change it! Does the very idea of attending another hours-long meeting make you want to run from the room? Come up with a new format! Change, and our journeys, begin with a single step.
However you choose to begin, refine, or revisit your calling, we encourage you to take a few moments to reflect on your gifts and your purpose.
If you’re ready to explore your own brilliance, here are three ways to work with us:
Experience what it’s like to have the extraordinary support of your own executive coach. So many of our clients are doing deep transformational work to discover the brilliance within. Reach out to Kathleen or Lisa to discuss how 1x1 coaching can help you chart your path to purpose.
Our next Mastermind series starts in October. “I can’t say enough phenomenal things!” Join us for a six-week exploration into The Hero’s Journey, where we work with a small, curated cohort to explore purpose, passion, and the path to get there. Find inspiration and build your community. “It has truly changed my life – it made an impact.” Learn more here.
Get ready to hit the road! Join our waitlist to be the first to know when we announce details for our signature Leadership Immersion Retreats. We bring women together to find the inspiration, ideas, and insights that only come when you step away from your normal routine with the space to reflect and grow. 2020’s schedule was Florence, Santa Fe and Napa. 2022: Tuscany and the natural beauty of the US. Join our waitlist to see what’s coming.
All the best as you meander or charge down your path,
- Kathleen and Lisa
