May 18, 2013

The Best Way To Get Unstuck (The Compass Exercise)

I often create verbal and written exercises for my clients to discover new things about themselves.  I came up with this one a few weeks ago and it has been giving a lot of different people a bunch of break throughs.

Give it a shot and you just might learn something about yourself (Introspection YAY!)

Heads up: it will take you about 15-20 minutes to do properly, but will pay dividends in removing stress from your life and giving you a sense of direction.

Answer each of these five questions, with five separate written responses for each.

1. How can I contribute to the world and make it a better place for others?

(five answers)

2. What habits can I practice to make myself a happier and better person?

(five answers)

3. What can I do today to improve someone’s life?

(five answers)

4. What could I do today to make myself 5% happier?

(five answers)

5. Who currently needs some support from me, and in what way?

(five answers)

So make sure you answer each of the questions, with five answers each (for a total of 25 written responses).

Got it?

Are you sure?

Alright, moving on…

Now I want you to go through all five of the sections and write a big capital  “H” next to the one in each section that you could do the fastest and with the least effort.

Got it? Great.

Next step…

Go through each section and find the response that is the most difficult to implement.  For whatever reason, one of them will feel like it is the most challenging.  Next to these answers I want you to write a capital “C”.

Still keeping up?

Once you have made your decisions, I want you to write up your two lists of H’s and C’s.

As you take a look at your list of H’s, realize that these are your Habits… your short term goals… the things that you have deemed as making you the happiest in the least amount of time.

Your list of C’s are your Challenges… your longer-term goals… your obstacles.

There are a hundred contingencies that I can’t account for through this medium, but I’m guessing that after having completed the exercise, your life seems a little bit clearer.

Are the ‘habits’ a bit TOO easy?  Maybe you need to focus more on integrating challenges into your life to allow yourself to grow.

The final step in this process, is to commit to doing one ‘habit’ and one ‘challenge’ by the end of the week.  I believe in you!

To your success,

Jordan

Jordan Gray
About Jordan Gray

Jordan Gray has been a sex and relationship coach for over 15+ years, with his work reaching over 200 million people worldwide. His writing has been featured in Vogue, GQ, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and countless other publications around the world. When he’s not working with 1-on-1 coaching clients or writing a new article, he’s most likely to be found reading, chopping wood, or spending time with his wife on a little island off the west coast of Canada.

Blog

Related

See All
Seasonal Affective Disorder: 5 Tips To Prevent It Completely
Oct 22, 2017
Jordan Gray
Seasonal Affective Disorder: 5 Tips To Prevent It Completely
I had a reader question come in a few days ago that I found interesting enough to respond to in full, and I've decided to share it publicly so that others may benefit. - "Hey Jordan, I suffer from seasonal affective disorder. I live in the Pacific Northwest and I definitely feel the...
Continue Reading
The Top 10 Best Articles Of 2016
Dec 26, 2016
Jordan Gray
The Top 10 Best Articles Of 2016
2016 was a massive year of growth for me. Many big wins and many big challenges. On the wins side... I helped more people this past year than I had cumulatively helped in my previous six years of coaching combined, I cultivated a deep sense of community for the first time in my adult life, I lived...
Continue Reading
7 Popular Concepts That I Just Don’t Believe In
Feb 23, 2024
Jordan Gray
7 Popular Concepts That I Just Don’t Believe In
There are a handful of concepts that are so popular… so everywhere… that every time I see them, I just want to shoot myself in the fucking face. Both the frequency of how often I hear about them and the degree to which people believe in them without question really grinds my gears. So, welcome...
Continue Reading
How To Meet Amazing Women As A Digital Nomad
Mar 12, 2014
Jordan Gray
How To Meet Amazing Women As A Digital Nomad
As a location independent entrepreneur, you've likely found it difficult at times to find meaningful relationships while traveling the world. You want to taste everything that the world has to offer- whether that be food, experiences, or romantic relationships. But sometimes it can be lonely staring...
Continue Reading
3 Things That All Driven Men Need In A Partner
Apr 14, 2014
Jordan Gray
3 Things That All Driven Men Need In A Partner
Driven men, successful men, and entrepreneurial men all have something in common… They all yearn for an emotionally fulfilling relationship. Sure, all people crave a highly functioning and fulfilling relationship. But in my career as a relationship coach I have consistently seen driven, high-achieving...
Continue Reading
This Is The One Thing You Always Have Control Over
Feb 21, 2016
Jordan Gray
This Is The One Thing You Always Have Control Over
We really can’t control much of anything in our funny little lives. We grasp for control. We grasp for meaning. We grasp for a semblance of purpose in everything that we do. In my opinion, there’s only one thing that we can ever truly control. And I’ll tell you what that is. But first, a story. My...
Continue Reading