We challenge you, in this eight-day series, to get in the driver’s seat of your life so that you can direct it where you want to go. Based on The 8 Cylinders of Success,â„¢ this series will help you discover ways to align those cylinders and thus create the most powerful vehicle possible from your life. The more cylinders you are able to align, the more powerful your personal movement.
DAY SEVEN: Picture = Your Road Map
Your picture is a road map of the landscape of life based on what you know is possible and your imagination is what you believe is possible. However, what one knows and what one believes can be strikingly different for two people
based on their exposure and experiences. What you know comes from your personal experiences and your awareness of others’ experiences. As your awareness expands, your road map and mental map expand proportionally.When getting directions using the Internet, you have to put in your origin (where you are) and your destination (where you want to go). All you have to do is click the “Get Directions†button and your plan is laid out for you down to each minute and turn. It’s easy to plan a road trip because you’re 99% certain that the roads on the directions you print will be there.
Today, the landscape of life is changing so fast that the same roads we plan
to take to get where we want one day are not guaranteed to be there the next. You can only prepare for 99% uncertainty, though 99% certainty is preferred. Therefore, it is more important to hold firm to your direction rather than a set of directions.When we drive, we tend use one of three types of vision: tunnel, rear-view, and peripheral vision. Tunnel vision locks us into point of view—all we can see is what’s ahead of us. Rear-view vision keep us stuck in the past. There is a reason the windshield is 10 times bigger than the rearview mirror–we’re supposed to remain in the present. Peripheral vision opens our awareness to all of the possibilities around us so that we
can make informed decisions about how we want to get where we’re going. It’s important to have a vision, but it’s equally important to hold it loosely in the event that something better beyond your imagination comes along.Activity: Write a one-sentence vision for your life. And then write a one-sentence vision for your career.
Example: My vision for my life is to allow all of my relationships–to self, to God, to my partner, to my family, to my friends, to my community, to my clients–help me grow and experience the wide range of emotions and lessons life has to offer. My vision for my career is change the way the world works (literally) by changing the way people approach and manage their careers and the way companies approach and manage their employees.
DAY ONE: Principles = Your Dashboard
DAY THREE: Problems = Your Fuel
DAY FIVE: Positioning = Your Lane
DAY SIX: Pioneers = Your Direction
Jullien “Purpose Finder†Gordon is founder of The Department of Motivated Vehicles, a personal and professional development company that specializes in motivating individuals, employees and teams. In addition to The 8 Cylinders of Success featured in this series, he has written four books on career advancement, goal-setting and procrastination, and maximizing college. He serves as consultant and speaker to companies, colleges and other organizations across the nation.