We are all on a voyage. Our propulsion systems may differ, but we strive for something beyond our current location.
We Are Voyageurs
wayfinding
Switch
What event or experience turns the switch for you and your enterprise? Is there a person, networking collaboration, or topic that transforms your energy? Is there a source that regenerates your purpose and commitment?
When we know what helps us generate more energy and enthusiasm, we can leverage it when it serves our journey.
I Know
“I know what I’m gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and next year, and the year after that.” George Bailey
What will you do tomorrow, the next day, and the next year? How certain are you of these commitments? What if circumstances change?
Are we committed to the journey or the destination? Prioritizing the behaviors and processes that launch us in our expected direction might strengthen the results of our planning; otherwise, we might find ourselves close to our goal but unable to grasp our transformation.
Reaction
How do you react when you get into your vehicle and the check engine light is illuminated? What if the scenario changes to a rental car? What if the warning flashes on randomly but then ceases?
One critical attribute many enterprises seek is individuals skilled at decision-making. Without more information, none of those incidents mentioned earlier have a proper solution. However, how we seek more context and react may reflect our decision-making ability.
How might we not always recruit the most credentialed individuals for our cause but consider their ability to help our enterprise navigate demanding decisions?
Progress
Progress, not perfection, is an insightful mantra. If we wait to act, curate our art too much, or wait for ideal conditions, we might sacrifice the opportunity to progress. It might feel safer to continue our edits, build another version, or seek additional feedback, but this may delay our chance to generate a more meaningful discussion. Of course, we must assess the risk. We can break the fear threshold if the possible outcome leads to personal failure and hurt feelings. If the user’s safety is compromised, it is best to delay until our concerns can be mitigated.
Control
What can you control? What is beyond your control? What falls between these two categories? What if you took the time to map these quickly before your enterprise approves its next budget or decides on resource allocation? What if you started a generative conversation by adding Post-it notes to a larger template of the above graphic? How might our future discussions benefit from agreeing beforehand about what we control and what is beyond our influence?
Thru-hikers planning for one of the ultra-distance trail networks (e.g., Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Appalachian Trail1, etc.) in the United States during 2025 are working on extensive details. They can control the gear they acquire, fitness level, re-ration boxes, and goals. They cannot control the snowpack, wildlife, availability of trail angels to assist them, or other trail users they will encounter. They have variable control over the distance they plan to cover, hiking partner(s), and probable scenarios encountered based on previous long-distance hikes.
A thru-hiker can spend most of their time on the controlled and variable inputs, leaving the uncontrolled inputs for evaluation as departure day approaches.
Amplifying “Can’t”
Does your mindset change if you are informed ‘you can’ versus ‘you can’t’? When we are restricted from taking action or proceeding, it may increase our desire to sample the mission we aspire to complete. I have often found more satisfaction in gaining access to an experience that started with ‘you can’t’ or a restriction and ultimately allowed access.
For example, an airport gate agent informing us that the boarding door is closed, and we are denied boarding, only to have the door re-opened to accommodate a crew member, and we are boarded. The flight feels like a reward. Reaching a closed trail which requires us to retrace our steps for miles, only to learn that a seldom-used side trail allows us to proceed. Or an endeavor that we are told we have not acquired sufficient experience to attempt, but we find a support team and complete the quest.
How might we recognize that our motivation may increase expoentially when we first encounter a barrier before we are able to proceed?
Wayfinding
There is not a prescribed route during an orientation race. There are checkpoints but the terrain in between is navigated in real-time with decisions made based on glances at a topographic map and assessing the geography encountered. Wayfinding is a skill that is applied to the expanses we occupy at the moment.
How might we be aligned to checkpoints but not prescriptive about the route? How might we recognize that real-time information is vital to timely decisions? How might we not try to forerun the course when the event is unique to us?
Different Peaks
We are not climbing the same route. We might be mountaineering in the same range, or even ascending the same peak but from different approaches. When we compare ourselves to the progress of others, it is extraneous. Our focus and decision-making are best directed to wayfinding on the terrain in front of us. Keep climbing and once we summit, there will be another mountain to climb. Our goal is not to repeat what has already been done in the exact same order, but rather to find new combinations, unique approaches, and immerse ourselves in new experiences.
Marking the Way
When the trail is not obvious, we can leave clues to guide those that follow. It might take effort to create a route that can be traveled by others but those who are committed will continue forward if we set them up for success.
What-if-concepts 