As a child, I felt sorry for Dorothy and Toto – how scary to be dropped in a foreign land far from family and friends.
Now, as an adult, I think she was on easy street! How simple – she just has to follow the yellow brick road to arrive at her desired destination! That’s so much easier than trying to figure it out on your own! It’s true – Dorothy dealt with a few lions, tigers and bears along the way, but all things considered – I’d take her gig in a heartbeat!
You’re no different than Dorothy.
You too are on a Journey – it’s called Life. The question is – do you have a yellow brick road? Are you heading toward a destination that excites you?
If so – great! Continue to progress; develop your coping skills so you defeat the lions, tigers and wicked witches who try and thwart your efforts.
If not – get started. The clock is ticking – wake up, dust off the poppy and start to move.
Overview of a Journey:
My goal is to raise awareness with regard to your personal journey. In doing so – you get a few more yellow bricks and a few less flying monkeys! The good news is – there are only 4 types of Journeys so you should be able to figure out the kind you are on and start to manage it.
Use this guide to figure out where you are. Then, do the work to get where you want to be.
Identify your Journey
There are 4 Types of Journey. Read each and see which most sounds like you:
- Deliberate – This is the goal; it is the “yellow brick road” of Journeys. For this to be your type you need to know where you’re going and have a deliberate path to get there. Can you articulate your next one or two career moves? Do you have one or two dreams you are pursuing? Are there goals, objectives or intentions you can identify (including what you are doing to make them a reality?) If so – you are being deliberate – you are making Dorothy proud!
- Default – This is the rudderless ship. You have slipped into auto-pilot and are going through the motions. You aren’t necessarily in a “bad” place, but you are not as alive or engaged as you desire. Your comfortable life has become complacent; your security is feeling stifling; your routine has become all too predictable. If these sound like you, your are the tail and not the dog – Toto isn’t pleased! You need to align a desired destination with a path to get there.
- Decline – You are beyond auto-pilot and feel frustrated, stressed and/or discontent. You are not where you want to be and are losing ground. Your ideals, goals and dreams are slipping away and you aren’t sure what to do about it. You may still have an idea of what you want, but you don’t see it as doable. You are starting to melt – you aren’t where you want to be or who you want to be. You need to pull out of the nose dive and get to a better place. While at times it feels to late – it isn’t. Every great journey begins with the first step – it is time for yours!
- Treadmill – Busy doesn’t even describe your life. It is as if you are constantly chasing your tail. You are busy at work and at home. There is rarely enough hours in the day. The time for you, your goals or fun seem more fantasy than reality. The frustration comes from a lack of progress. As busy as you are – you aren’t confident you’re moving toward your version of Oz! It feels like you are too busy to change or do anything. It is a mirage – take back your life one step at a time. When you get the white space needed – define your Oz and construct your road one yellow brick at a time. You can get there!
These four types of Journeys capture 90+% of the population. Did you find the one that resonates for you? They say awareness is half the battle. Knowing what type of Journey you’re on helps you create a plan for getting to where you want to be.
It isn’t easy. However, it’s impossible if you don’t try!
Make Dorothy proud – take steps to build your yellow brick road and start moving forward.