Last month, I went on a trip to Minnesota and got lost. A lot.
I travel quite a bit for work, and I never get a GPS with my rental car...and I never really need one. Generally, the directions I get from the coworkers I'm visiting, a quick stop on MapQuest, the little local map they give you at Avis, and some instincts are enough to get me where I need to go.
So I'm not sure what was with me and Minnesota.
I made about twenty-five u turns, got lost twice (ok, I only went twice) going to the office which was four miles away, got lost four times (ok, every time) I tried to get back to my hotel, spent a ridiculous amount of time driving back and forth on Prairie Center Drive looking for anything familiar, and went 10 miles in the wrong direction when heading to the airport (even with MapQuest directions).
The experience left me confused, doubting my often touted sense of direction, and wondering whether my principled avoidance of the GPS had come to an end. Once I successfully exited Minnesota and got speeding along on the familiar roads of Connecticut, it hit me how easily this translates well beyond the road and into a way to manage work and life.
Finding my way...
It is often when I don't know where I'm going that I find the greatest adventures and many times uncover things I would have otherwise missed.
Having an automated voice tell me exactly when and where to turn is a great way to lose sight of the things around me. Trusting my instincts makes me feel powerful, even when I am the most lost.
Forcing myself to find my bearings and understand the landscape has been a large part of my successes both personally and professionally.
Getting lost...
Driving in Minnesota threw me way off. Route 35E goes north and south, Prairie Center Drive goes in circles, there are detours for detours, and apparently there is more than one route 16. My instincts failed in a place where the local landmarks were the Home Depot, one of 10,000 lakes, and other office buildings.
There are times when getting my bearings isn't going to be easy, and it's most definitely risky to assume that what has always worked will always work, especially when the unexpected detour or wrong turn throw off the instincts. Supplementing directional skills with some formal guidance can serve a very important purpose...most importantly when arriving at your destination is critical and being late is a deal breaker. Not accepting this is where I've had my biggest struggles.
As always, it's a balance. Plans and directions and instructions all have their place and necessity, but learning to trust your instincts and forge into unknown territories is where many valuable discoveries are made.
So, Minnesota may require a GPS for now (or at least I'll have it in the glove compartment).
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