The Leader's inner path

There is more to success than external recognition and a high salary. There comes a time when you start to question everything and look for the next level, this is where coaching can help - be it with a specialist or through self-coaching. Here are some first steps you can take on your own.
Photo by bogdan Flickr CC

When to start on the inner path

The story is much the same for most of us, even if it feels new and sad for each of the victims. We work hard and climb on the corporate ladder, until one day we find that it is laying down. There is nowhere to go, basically we feel betrayed.

“Is this all there is?” was the question I asked myself as do many successful managers when they are in their early forties and start to die. Maybe not literally, but when your ambition is swirling around like an anti-aircraft gun without finding a target to aim at, then your soul starts to shrivel.

If you still want a coach to help you become more effective, better at time-management and faster at reaching the targets in the bonus plan - then it’s still too early. But, if you are over that phase, it’s time to start on the inner path.

The inner path

The inner path is being what you want to be remembered for, what you want your grandchildren to say about you. How you want the persons around you to gain from having worked with you. To define these new goals is a transformative experience, it is well worth the effort.

From a good friend, I heard of an eastern thinker, saying that there are only two ways to fail on the path - to not start and to not finish.

Life goals

So you start to think about your life goals, what you want to achieve during your remaining life. When you have the first answers there are some good questions that you could ask yourself:

• Why is this goal important?
• What values does it support?
• What else is important now?

The whole point of the inner path is to align your actions with your values, that will give you your energy and drive back. To define your values is not easy - at this stage a professional coach might ask you “what else are you not telling me now?”. To identify your limiting- and supporting beliefs is the goal of the exercise, the secret to success on the inner path.

Questions that get you moving

Any travel starts with the first step, as the saying goes. But that step is difficult, we are masters of finding good excuses. One of the most popular is “I have responsibilities and can not afford to do something different right now, but maybe later”.

“What are your past successes?” and “what is working for you right now?” are good questions that a professional might ask to get you going, to encourage you to take the first step.

Tracking progress

It’s not complicated, list your goals and for each put a number between 1-10 for your current reality and do the same for your desired future reality. Then sit down by yourself, or with a significant other, and do monthly reviews.

Personally I like to keep a daily journal with a handful of entries. I only list the positive things and call it my victory list. This list is great for finding the “keys to success”, the reasons for progress. When I know my values, know the goals that I want to reach and have the “keys to success”, I feel calm, fulfilled and satisfied. I feel that my life has a meaning and my energy comes back.

I hope that this post can help you find the first steps on your inner path, if there is something that needs some more explanation, just send me a comment and I’ll do my best to be clearer.