You might have noticed that our logo looks very much like a compass pointing True North. Anyone who has created a logo knows the endless iterations and mind boggling variations one can take on a theme. Thank you, Maria Mariano, our extremely patient designer, for sticking with us through that process. Now when we see that logo front and center on our new AW Planner we are thankful we insisted on getting it right.
Aligned with Your True North
I mention it now because I want to talk to you about alignment. The symbolism for us is that we use our accountability practice to stay aligned with our True North, which is defined by our vision. Our vision is the future that we are working towards with courage and tenacity.
For some, vision is tangible. It’s the family, home, career that we deeply and truly want for ourselves. For others, vision is an idea – just and equitable communities, sustainability, redefining how we work. And vision can also be much further out. Our legacy and what we hope to leave our children or the world at large.
The scope of our vision may be different but the idea that it informs our goals and actions today does not. When you are aligned with your True North, it feels good because you are realizing the well of potential that lies within. It fills you with purpose and brings alive your creativity.
Staying Aligned Requires Tenacity and Focus
This is where alignment comes in. In the moment, it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. We can be swayed by discomfort, distracted by a buzz from our phone reporting everything from a text to the next calamity in progress. Staying aligned requires tenacity and focus.
Lately, we’ve heard many people say how discouraged they feel. And lament, more than usual, how hard things are especially when it comes to anything concerning the future. So how do we stay aligned? When we feel like despairing or pulling up the covers or not doing the thing – how do we move through it?
Great Questions to Help You Get Re-Aligned
The first thing is to know what your vision is. To know what you are working towards creating in your own life. Once you’ve got that here are some great questions to check in and get re-aligned…
- Am I pointed in the direction that I want to go?
- Is this action or choice bringing me closer (even if infinitesimally) to where I want to go or is it moving me further away?
- Is this hard for me or is this wrong for me? (A friend shared this recently, and we loved it)
Because when you are aligned with your True North, you become a creative force and staying under the covers or despairing about the state of the world becomes much less appealing. After all, there is important work to be done.
