Everybody wants to be happy all the time; at work, at home, everywhere. Executive coaches work on business behavior, guiding leaders and teams to better communication and better relationships. The things executives learn from their coaches apply everywhere in their lives: in their homes, with their families, and out in their communities. They have better personal relationships. Better relationships lead to happiness and satisfaction. Knowing your Why It Matters will help lead you to happiness. You can choose to become aware, discover your Why It Matters, and be happier in the process. That is a fact.
You are heading for the summit. Just as each one of us is unique, each climb will be different. This mountain has more than one path to the top. Even if two people take exactly the same route to the top, there will be slight variations in foot placement, stride length, and a thousand other minute details. Your climb is individual and totally unique to you alone.
To arrive at your Why It Matters, you have to explore four things about yourself. It is helpful to think about a compass as you take this journey. You can remember the four things you have to explore by remembering north, south, east, and west. Each point of the compass will introduce a new way of looking at your Why It Matters.
The points of the compass are each accompanied by a key word that represents part of your life.
NORTH: EXPOSURE – your upbringing and experience; stories you have learned from
SOUTH: EVIDENCE – the basis and foundation for your choices; stories you tell to other people
WEST: EXCITEMENT – you might think of the American Wild West; things that encourage your passion
EAST: ESSENCE – the wisdom of the East, your spiritual side; things that give you peace
We associate these four elements: exposure, evidence, excitement, and essence with points of the compass to make them easier to remember. Start looking for your Why it Matters, it might change the direction you are heading.
Guest blog by Brenda Corbett of Sherpa Coaching. Brenda is an executive coach, author, educator, training designer, and speaker. She coaches top level executives in the U.S. and around the world.
