The Compass and the Destination

To begin on a journey I believe you must know generally where you are headed and you must have a compass of some kind to show you the way to that destination. That is to say, an end that defines the mean. To begin the journey I need to know generally where I would like to go and I need some directional tools to get me there. That does not assume that I will not alter it at some point or take a detour, but without these two things I will get very lost, or worse, I won't begin my journey at all.

Many young people, especially in New York City where I live, suffer from problems arising from some combination of these factors. Some do not know where they are going, they have a great compass, but it does them no good and they hop from job to job performing well but creating no real value because they can't stick around long enough to see anything through.

Some people have a great destination in mind but they do not have mentors, practical tools, the will, or the emotional resources to get there. They can explain very well what they hope to accomplish but when you look at their life and the measure of their days they are not doing anything to get themselves there--some even think if they just wander around long enough they will end up at their destination accidentally!

Some people have neither. The years go by and they move from one job to another, or sit in the same one day in and day out. They get older. If you ask them they really don't know what they want and there is an underriding anxiousness about making a decision at all--they are paralyzed.

The last are those with both a functioning compass and a clear destination. They create value in the organizations where they work because they see it as a means to their goal, yet understand that journeys take time and integrity and character will ultimately make them more successful in the long run. Some of these people may never reach their intended destination! But they accept that as part of the journey, they are flexible and can reorient their path with their trusty compass, picking a new destination when the path is too difficult or when they are needed elsewhere.

Pursuing research in a field of study is like this. From time to time I will attempt to tag posts as compass or destination as I assemble some tools for the journey and as I clarify my destination.