What Will You Discover Today?
I sit at my desk in my home office. A lot.
When I’m not at my desk, I’m in other rooms of my house. A lot!
I walk in my neighborhood often, and will sit on the porch occasionally.
But I can go days before I get in the car and actually go somewhere.
This is partly a reflection of the fullness of my work and family life (there’s little time for other things!). And partly it’s because I love where I live and being close to home makes me happy.
But something unexpected happens when we keep ourselves insulated and at home: We stop discovering.
When I talk about the Four Steps of Life Design, I always start with Discover. To discover means to take stock of who you are today, and to get curious about yourself through new and powerful questions.
Discovery is a process of turning inward, of reflecting – for sure.
But we often overlook another aspect of Discovery: turning outward.
Engaging with the world around you.
Getting curious about other people, situations and conversations.
Seeking inspiration through travel or other novel experiences.
Leaving the house!
Last week I traveled to Philadelphia for a 3-day Summit and was reminded of how important it is to change my context. To get away from my desk, have new conversations with new people – heck, even to try a new coffee shop!
Discovery isn’t a closed-off thing that we do in isolation; rather it’s an orientation that seeks to broaden our view – about ourselves, and about our world.
And that means stepping away from our devices, and going out into the community around us. Let’s give it a try this week.
Try This Out
Ask yourself: “What am I open to discovering today?”
In my opinion, the only real “rule” here is that your answer needs to take you out of your house and put you into a new context:
A new-to-you branch of your local library
A park you’ve been thinking of exploring
A restaurant you’ve wanted to try
It doesn’t have to be serious, and it doesn’t have to relate to work. Whatever it is you’ve been wanting to try, experience, or immerse yourself in… this is your permission slip!
Discovering what’s happening outside of yourself enables some really cool things:
It gets you learning – and learning is a powerful way to start the process of getting unstuck
It gets you into your body – when so much of our time is spent sitting and thinking!
It widens your perspective – so that you can understand yourself in the context of the greater whole
It sparks new ideas and insights – that you can apply in novel ways to whatever challenges you’re facing
It creates new connections – in a time when we need community care more than ever.
Doing this kind of Discovery is not indulgent. It’s not just about playing or having fun or goofing off.
It’s about broadening your field of vision, opening up to new inspiration, and seeing how you as an individual connect to the bigger whole.
What are you open to discovering today?
What To Do Next
If you’re curious about how Discover connects to the other 3 steps of Life Design – Define, Imagine, and Iterate – check out my on-demand workshop:
“From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust: 4 Steps to Reconnect with Your Authentic Self”
In less than 45 minutes, you will:
Name the areas of your life where you doubt yourself
Learn the four steps you can use to guide you back into self-trust
Hear how I used these exact steps to grow my own self-trust at a challenging time in my career and life
Reflect on ways to amplify your self-trust and take action to begin trusting yourself right now.
It’s inspiring, and it’s actionable. And you can dive into it right now.
Onward,
