You are here.

Before you can get to Point B, you have to identify Point A.

I’m traveling this week. I’m speaking at a high school camp in the wooded hills of southern-ish Oregon. It’s stunning. I’m sitting in a Starbucks right now, stealing a couple of hours away in order to define where I am right now in life and leadership. July is over today. August begins tomorrow. In the next week Brian and I will celebrate our 18th anniversary and my 40th birthday. Our kids go back to school in 13 days (Yes, I’m counting. Judge if you wish). Another summer break has come and is nearly gone (the kids broke me…not the other way around). Another year of marriage and pursued partnership together. Another decade of my life has nearly concluded.

I am here.

When I got into my rental car at the Eugene airport, the first thing I did was plug in my phone to the car’s USB and pull up my maps to get directions to the camp. Before I could even type in the address, it asked me where I was. Was the Eugene airport my “current location”? Before I could get directions to where I wanted to end up, I had to identify my current location.

Truth is, there were about 6 different ways I could get to the camp. I could take the scenic route. I could take the highway. I could choose a route that would maybe shave a few minutes off my time, but risk getting stuck behind a logger truck that would add 30 minutes to my commute. I could take the route with more miles but I could drive faster and get there in the same time. Did I want to take the most direct route? Which route would give me cell reception for the most amount of the drive.

Decisions. Decisions.

But it started with identifying where I started. I decided that I wanted the route my friend, Robb, told me to take. It wasn’t the route my maps app kept telling me to take. It wasn’t the directions the camp emailed me. I wanted the directions from a trusted guide. I wanted to follow his lead. I also wanted to take the route with the least probability for interruptions, distractions, extra turns, and had the most access to lunch options. I began knowing that I was tired from a half-day of travel and I didn’t want all the extra guess work. I knew that I wanted to conserve mental energy because I needed to speak when I got to camp. I assessed that I wanted cell phone access for as long as possible. So, I chose Robb’s route.

Life + leadership are the same way.

There are multiple routes to the same destination. But to get to Point B, you need to identify three things:

POINT A: Where are you now?

This is non-negotiable. Where are you starting? What’s happening in your body, mind, and spirit that will inform where you go from here? What’s missing? What do you not have now that you want in the future? Defining reality is the starting point to going anywhere worth going. Identifying your starting point is a critical first step. Most of us begin with what we want and where we want to be. But just like a maps app, you cannot get to Point B without first specifically knowing where you are today.

POINT B: Where are you going?

If you want to live fully, you need a direction. You need to determine where you want to end up. The more specific you are about what you want and where you want to be, the more likely it is for you to end up in that preferred future. While you likely won’t have a detailed strategic plan for the next 10 years, you need to be able to articulate what you’re dreaming, wanting, and imagining for your future. Designing a life you love is the best work you get to do with your life.

COACHING: Who will guide you?

None of us are self-made. No one gets to where they want to go without a company of others who help them along the way. All of us need guides who will help us get from Point A to Point B. You don’t just need a guide, you need a road map; a plan to get you from where you are to where you want to be. If you didn’t need a guide and a road map, you would already be at Point B. Just as Robb gave me insider tips so I knew how to get to camp in the best way, we need others who will show us how to move in the direction we choose.

(PS. The fun part of this story is that I’ve coached Robb in a couple different points to move him from where he was to where he wanted to be. It’s been such a fun week speaking into his people .)

Leaders, you need more than you may even realize. If you have the holy responsibility of taking people to places where they need to go, it starts within you. You need to know your personal Point A, Point B, and have guides because we all know that leaders can only take people to places where they’ve first gone.

But then, you also need to know where you’re taking your people.

That’s what we are committed to providing at Ezer + Co.

In September a Coaching Group for Women in Leadership will begin a 6-month journey together. I cannot imagine a better journey for you to figure out the best route for your life + leadership. Enroll today. Spots are filling up and you are worth it.