Compasses are kind of like iPhones

I’m starting this year by sharing some core concepts that I find most helpful to my clients — our compass + our engine. I’m starting with our compasses (here’s last week’s) –  and I wanted to share another idea this week. 

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Today I wanted to share #1 misunderstanding about compasses that I find I have to explain to the world.

Here it is:

Compasses drained of batteries will only tell you that they are drained of batteries.

You know how when your iphone or your laptop is drained of battery, you can turn it on, it just shows the “battery is dead” sign, and then turns itself off? 

The compass is 100% like this. 

If human (metaphorical) compasses came with instruction manuals, they would say: Compass will not give directional information when drained of battery. 

Often, when people get that battery-dead-turning-itself-off thing, they freak out and think their compass doesn’t work. When actually, your compass is totally working. 

It is just telling you the one thing it really, really wants you to know, which is “you are tired.” 

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And this is, truly the #1 misunderstanding about compasses that I find I have to explain to the world. I tell it to clients very frequently. I told this to a friend just this week. 

My friend was feeling stressed out + scared because she didn’t know what she wanted to do professionally. I asked her what she wanted to do, and she said:

You know, I just think if I was being honest, I don’t want a job at all. I’d love to never work again. But I can’t do that, financially, so I just feel trapped and like I have nothing to navigate by.

And it was very clear to me what the problem was. 

So I told her: “Girl, your compass is working just fine. It’s just that when your compass is out of batteries, the only thing it’s going to tell you is to recharge the batteries. You’re not going to get any more information until there’s more juice in that thing.” 

And then she laughed and was really relieved. 

Because, she had been going through a busier time than usual, and she was genuinely tired. And she could quit her job to rest, of course, but she also could just prioritize rest more in her life as a whole, while keeping her job. Both are options. 

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But again, in these situations, the compass is working, it’s just doing what it is supposed to do, which is not to give a reading when it doesn’t have enough battery level. 

So as my PSA for this month, please remember: Compasses drained of batteries will only tell you that they are drained of batteries.

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As always, I’m rooting for you. You’ve got this.

Katie

P.s. Want to rebuild your compass? I highly recommend working with me 1:1. Learn more here about what it’s like to work with me, what past clients have said, and more.