I’m sure you are familiar with a GPS system.  If you don’t have one in your car, you almost certainly have one on your phone. They help to guide us from point A to point B and they even allow us to detour to other stops along the way, such as when we need gas or food during our trip.

Are you familiar with your internal GPS system? Just like your car or phone, if you listen to it, you will go from point A to point B and along the way it will allow detours as well when they are needed.   

There are five steps you need to take when listening to your
internal GPS system so you can reach your goals.

 Step One: Determine your location

The first thing that happens when we turn on our GPS device in our car or on our phone is that it synchronizes with the satellite to pinpoint exactly where you are.  Getting positioned for success in your career or life is very similar. You choose your life direction and God is your satellite. This first step requires getting in sync spiritually. We are often so busy rushing to get where we are going that we don’t take the time to figure out where we currently are.   

Step Two: Determine your Destination

The next thing that happens with the GPS device in your car or on your phone is that you choose a destination. Then you have a few different ways that come up to show you options on how to reach that destination. In life or your career, you also need to choose a destination. Then you need to understand that God may have different paths for how you get there and maybe they are not the same ones you originally thought you would be taking. You need to have some idea of where you’re going to end up before you start going.  It doesn’t mean the destination won’t change; it just means you need to know what direction to start going in.

Step Three: Determine your Route

When you are on a road trip, there are roadblocks, detours, potholes, and delays. It’s part of the journey. On your journey through life and your career, it will be the same.  Those detours may be a career change or a location change. Those potholes may be a family emergency you need to take care of. Those delays may be life interfering with your plans now.

And, like the GPS unit, you may have to consider all the routes available, take alternate routes, and manage obstacles. Once you tell your GPS device where you want to go, it maps out a step-by-step route to your destination.  In your career, it must be the same. 

Step Four: Determine your Obstacles

If you have traveled like I do, you know that very often it is not a smooth trip.  Even with the GPS on, you may still miss a turn or hit traffic you weren’t anticipating. These obstacles come up in life and your career also. Just because your journey isn’t always a smooth one doesn’t mean you won’t reach your destination.  It just means you will reach your destination on God’s time, not your own.    

Step Five: Determine your Next Destination

Let’s say you’ve just moved into the opportunity you envisioned.  YOU HAVE ARRIVED.  You are there. You know that’s not the end, right?  It is a new beginning.  This is a new chapter in your book of life. Congratulations! Enjoy the visit but remember that there is always a new goal to set and a new destination to reach.  

When you are ready to go for your next goal, repeat these steps I just outlined. Now you know how to use your internal GPS system in your life. The more you practice it the more it will become second nature and create a new paradigm for you.

Have fun on the journey, and if there is any way I can help guide you, please reach out.