Follow Your Inner GPS

There’s a new craze that’s taken over, have you heard?

It’s called Pokémon Go and is a mega hit, especially with people under 35. This app uses GPS to locate Pokémon characters anywhere in the world.

You could be grocery shopping and run into one – right there in the cereal aisle.

It’s such a huge hit that retailers are clamoring to get onboard and ride the wave.

Restaurants are advertising playing while you wait for your meal.

Car services like Uber are offering special rates if you use their services to play the game while they drive you around.

Practically every retailer has got some spin on Pokémon Go.

My sons are really into it as well. They gather with friends and play this for hours. If someone doesn’t have GPS, they follow the rest of the group. No one looks up to see where they’re going! They just follow each other around, like a group of lemmings.

Ever felt that way?

(Not the lemming thing)

Are you following the crowd; ignoring your own inner GPS?

It starts innocently at first.

You ask for an opinion on a decision you’re making.

Then you ask for another and another.

Pretty soon you’ve created an entire committee of people from various areas of your life and what happens? Just what you would think happens. They all have differing opinions on what you should do.

Result?

Confusion.

Overwhelm.

Inaction.

What if you tried something different?

What if you trusted yourself to have the right and perfect answer for you?

(You knew I was going to say that, right?)

You have the answers deep inside you. We all do.

You just need to learn how to tap into them.

Think of yourself like a handyman.

He carries around lots of different tools to make sure he’s prepared to handle whatever situation comes up while he’s working on his clients’ projects. His toolbox has to be big enough to hold everything he needs. He doesn’t have the luxury of calling several of his handyman colleagues to ask their opinion on how to fix this or how to paint that. His clients are counting on his wisdom and experience to get the job done the right way for the issue at hand.

So, who is counting on you?

Yep, you guessed it. You are.

As a life coach, I recommend many tools to my clients to help them find the right answers. One of my favorites doesn’t require an app or subscription or a monetary investment. It uses a tried and true method of excavation and is guaranteed to work every time.

What is this magical tool?

A journal.

Simple. Effective. Portable.

I first discovered the power of a journal years ago when I read Julia Cameron’s An Artist’s Way, where she talked about what she called “morning pages” and how impactful they can be. Never having journaled before, I was skeptical. However, her reasons were so convincing that I decided to give it a try.

Write in a journal every morning – filling up three pages.

Now before you gasp and say, “What?! THREE pages?! There’s no way I can take that kind of time in the morning! Besides, what will I write about?”

I have your answer.

Just do a brain dump onto the page. This isn’t about writing the great American novel. It’s about emptying your brain – all those worries, negative thoughts, confusion – and putting them in one place where you can find them (although something tells me you won’t feel the need).

And do you know what will start to happen?

Those thoughts you have about not knowing what to do will turn to thoughts of possibilities.

Overwhelm will start to melt giving way to clarity.

Problems find solutions.

Fear dissipates.

Gratitude grows.

I’ve been practicing this for years and have kept my journals, not to go back and relive the moments.

I keep them to remember where I was and see how far I’ve come.

Progress – not perfection.

That’s the direction I want my inner GPS to point me in.

 

Do you need help with your inner GPS? Not sure where to start? I can help! Book your complimentary 30-minute strategy session with me and let’s see if working together is your next right step.