December 12, 2011— DAY 12: At some point in all of our lives we get lost. Either as a child you got separated from your parents or perhaps you got lost driving in an unfamiliar city. Sometimes getting lost is found in an emotional stressor as your life collapses around you and you find yourself standing on a pile of rubble called the life you once knew.
There is nothing worse than not knowing where you are, where you are going, or even how you got there. It is difficult when you are following someone else, but becomes even more challenging when you are the guide that gets everyone lost.
Once, as a young adult while working as a camp counselor, I took a group of kids into the woods for a hiking adventure. We set out on a new trail I had never been on before, but the guide assured me that she knew the way. Unfortunately she really didn’t know where we were going and it wasn’t long until we were lost
Life is like that; we set out on a well-worn path with the perfect plan only to discover that around the corner we are lost in a thicket of issues with absolutely no idea of where to go next. One minute we are fast on the trail of an incredible dream and then, as if overnight, we awake to a house, kids, and a mortgage! We don’t really get off track overnight. It happens gradually over time and then one day we awake to find ourselves lost!
There are only a few options when you are lost. You can sit down and give up, hoping someone will come along and bail you out. You can assess the problem and try to determine the best solution, or you can turn around and start over.
The best solution, when possible, is to stop and evaluate where you are and what resources are available to you. The solution to my situation as a camp counselor was to sit down with a map and compass and develop a plan that was the most logical. I did safely get us out of our situation but it wasn’t pleasant or ideal.
Today I would like you to think about a time you got off track – maybe even lost. What did you do to correct your course? Maybe you have not corrected it. Write down all the areas of your life in which you have felt lost. Think about a time before you were lost and then the moment you realized you were off track. What did you do? Are you still there? What feels like the most logical way out of your situation and why? If you think you need help navigating your way out of this, now is the time to consider a mentor or maybe even a life coach.
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Philip A Foster, MA is Founder/CEO of Maximum Change Inc. Elevating leaders and their organizations to the next level since 2005. Master Certified Coach, Philip A Foster, MA and his associates facilitate effective positive change by helping organizations, leaders and individuals in high demand — design and implement strategies that maximize focus and deliver results. Specializing in Organization and Strategic Leadership.