The process of getting my passions down on paper was a great experience! I remember feeling elated after reading Attwood’s “The Passion Test” – The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose. At first, I wasn’t sure I could settle for just five passions after all that “dreaming” as the book instructed. Upon consolidating my long list of those things that bring me joy, passion & fulfillment, and then following the prioritization process, I did indeed manage to commit to my top five passions. Equally important was having these passions printed and then placed in strategic places, so they are a constant reminder of what’s most important to me.
“Markers” are simply milestones to ensuring I’m on the right path towards keeping these passions a reality. To me, that which gets measured - gets done! When these passions / markers are aligned, it becomes almost effortless and that really energizes me!
For example, one of my passions is: “Coaching enthusiastic clients in reaching their full potential both professionally and personally”. At first, I always had to seek out potential clients. Now, I enjoy the “pull” vs. the “push” of my coaching efforts given that these folks are on a journey to better realizing their full potential. This is further marked by my enthusiasm and their receptivity to what we’re working towards … it’s a win-win!
Another marker is my making a difference in the lives I touch. There is no better validation of this than when a client “graduates” from our leadership development program and a mention is made that they couldn’t have gotten there without the ongoing coaching and support in staying the course with them. It takes time, energy, creativity and lots of patience to coach towards leadership excellence. It reminds me of the saying: “When the student is ready, the coach will appear”, and this is often the case in the work we do and with the people we serve! No two coaching clients are ever the same, and that’s what makes our work so enjoyable!
My final marker is helping our children “find their way” in the business world! As previously mentioned, each of our three children has been through our leadership development process during their senior year in college. Each of them has managed to draw upon their own “Inner Guidance System”, which was clearly defined during their week-long leadership development retreat with us, in making their career moves. While they are young and just starting out, we are blessed that they are grounded with their own values, unique abilities, missions and passions! After all, our children are the future, and it’s up to them to pay-it-forward all that they have learned to the next generation!