purpose – Lior Locher

The BIG to do list

We have a lot going on, as humans, right now. Climate change, social divides, increasing wealth gap… We do have a fairly large team to work on this though, 7+ billion people and counting…

So, what to do and where to start?

The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are a good place to start. This has been called “the world’s to do list” and that’s what it is. The big key issues.

Have a look:

Some of these might resonate more with you than others. Some of these might be areas you are already active in. That’s great. Start with that. You don’t have to cover all of them, and not all by yourself. Pick a topic and make a start. Make this part of your work, or find other ways to support this.

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If you are looking for help to align your life better with your values, check out my book “Values-based – career and life changes that make sense” or ping me for a chat.

Slippery slopes

That feeling of discomfort the next day, that unease after the conversation… Ever had a “values hangover”? Knowing things were maybe not completely off track, but probably not really OK anymore? Life is messy, and often situations are not as perfectly clear-cut as our noble values suggest. Of course we would defend our values if they get violated, but how do we actually know that happened? Often, it is not the big blow-up, things slip in installments until you notice they are off, and then things are already pretty unstable.

For me, keeping tabs on this has something to do with how values are represented in my body. Where and how I am feeling them on a good day, and how this changes in difficult situations. A tightness in the throat, a knot in the stomach, things like that. They give me an indication when things start slipping – provided I actually take the time and space to check in with myself. This is very much a learning process, and often I catch things late, but I’d like to think as I practice, I catch them quicker.

What is your strategy for this? What are examples where your values were challenged? What are warning signs you have identified when things are slipping? How did you start the conversations?

The lighthouse in the fog – on orientation

Let’s face it, life can be pretty complex to navigate, and the pace can be relentless. And that lighthouse you were relying on last time for navigation is now firmly hidden behind a big fat layer of fog. It’s still there but you are at the moment not able to see it. And the fog won’t budge just because you happen to need a bit of navigation help right now.

Where do you get your guidance from? From the outside? From the inside? Both? Which one is your default? For me, it is typically somewhat of a mix. Can’t do it without feedback from the outside and context information, and wouldn’t want to live with decisions that are not connected to my internal satnav (purpose, values etc). How foggy is it where you are right now? Can you afford to wait until it clears before you make a move? How close are you to your “internal satnav”? What does it look like for you?

One way that helps me to connect both is slowing down (not a bad idea during fog anyway…). If your preferred way of orienting yourself doesn’t work for the moment, what other ways do you have available? Share examples!

lighthouse fog 3 closeup

Want to go deeper?

Check out the values worksheet here.
Or go deeper and get the book.
Or ping me about how coaching might help.