on self-directed work: a cartographer’s journey

i share this in hopes of it resonating with others on this journey, and especially if you’re in a low now – to remind you to reflect on how far you’ve come.

self-directed work often feels like you have a compass but no map. you walk towards peaks of inspiration, wander in valleys of confusion, wash in the waters of encouragement. everything you encounter is new – so how do you proceed?

seeking guidance from other people, both in your immediate circle and not, provides the boundaries for the path you walk. as you get more comfortable in your own interpretation of these boundaries, you can begin to take leaps of faith. then, your boundaries and direction will become guided much more by you.

sometimes your path will be wide – you must cover large swaths of ground in short amounts of time. sometimes your path will be narrow – you’ll dive deep on a specific path and come up for air briefly to check if you’re still headed in the right direction. each of these have their own pros and cons, but you will learn immensely from both of them.

the highs of these self-directed journeys are so high because you’re often on the edges of what others have explored & breaking new ground is an incredible feeling. the lows of these self-directed journeys can be incredibly low because others don’t often understand your high expectations and what you see beyond the ledge. you may strive for perfection, while others expect completion.

the struggle of not having a map before you start your journey means that you will often get disheartened – it’s hard to tell how much longer, how much further, how much more you will have to slough through to get to your ultimate goal. and even then…do you know your ultimate goal?

so, any good explorer knows having a notebook to chronicle the journey puts things in perspective. chronicle not only the longitude, and latitude – but lessons you learn along the way, how you feel, who you’re sharing this journey with. when you reach periods of disheartenment, refer to this map you’ve made of accomplishments, people that have helped you along the way, how you felt – and rejoice in the journey so far.

sometimes the only thing to do is follow your compass and put one foot in front of the other. the miles are long and the decades are short – so it’s time to get going.