(or Steer Your Own Sailboat Through the Journey of Change)

I traveled to Australia from New Zealand. It was only a four-hour flight. But it was momentous for me. You see I’ve traveled a few times in my life, around the world as a student, with my family to Europe, around the US on family vacations or for conferences, and a couple of vacation trips to Canada and Mexico. They were either highly organized (the student trip) or very focused on a location or purpose (short term vacations or conferences).

This the first time I’ve taken on the identity of a continuous traveler. When I landed in Australia (the second country on my trip), I recognized myself as no longer being a wanna-be continuous traveler. I now have in my bones that I travel from country to country, while maintaining my business, serving my clients, watching myself change as I expect my clients to change.

Change isn’t easy. It requires a change in who you perceive yourself to be or what you perceive your organization’s capabilities are. If you don’t have the vision, you can’t get started. If you don’t use affirmations to overcome your fears, then you won’t believe it’s possible and start taking steps. If you don’t actually achieve some goals, you won’t shift the belief in your bones that the results of the change are real and experience-based. (hence, the imposter syndrome)

And what’s more this is not something that happens to you. It’s something you do proactively for yourself. Steer your own sailboat.

As a leader, if you want to create change in your organization, you need to build the belief system that the change is possible. What is the vision that you communicate that puts motivation to change in your culture? What empowerment statements do you give your people that give them faith that change is possible, even in the face of obstacles? What small (and later large) goals are you leading your people to accomplish so that they start to experience that change is possible? What is the new identity you want the organization to take on and what is your process of leading your people to shift to that new identity?

The new currency of success is belief. Shift the belief, shift the results.

#travelingwhileworking #workingwhiletraveling