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
8 Man Skills Every Man Should Know
Dec 15, 2019
Jordan Gray
8 Man Skills Every Man Should Know
Something I’ve learned from years in men’s work is that for most guys to really feel like men, they need to be initiated into manhood by a community of other guys, especially older ones. This is where they learn certain skills and ways of living. Most importantly, this initiatory process of...
Continue Reading
5 Ways To Be A Better Live-In Partner
Jan 13, 2015
Jordan Gray
5 Ways To Be A Better Live-In Partner
Do you live with your significant other, or plan to live with one in the future? Great! Read on… It’s so easy to take our relationship for granted when we live with our partner and see them every day. When you live apart from each other they seem like more of a scarce resource. When will you see...
Continue Reading
Should You Date A Driven Woman?
Apr 30, 2014
Jordan Gray
Should You Date A Driven Woman?
Should you date a driven woman, or someone who is more relaxed than you? As someone who already lives their life full throttle, it can be confusing as to whether you should be with someone who can keep up with your levelled up lifestyle, or if you need someone to counteract your high-achieving ways. There...
Continue Reading
29 Things I’ve Learned In 29 Years
Apr 21, 2016
Jordan Gray
29 Things I’ve Learned In 29 Years
At the time of my writing this, my 29th birthday is a few days away. 29 laps around the sun... and I feel like I have experienced a fairly densely packed ride so far. I've struggled, I've conquered, I've travelled, I've felt, and I've loved. The following collection of words flowed through me in one...
Continue Reading
7 Of My Favourite Things That Make My Life Better
Aug 3, 2023
Jordan Gray
7 Of My Favourite Things That Make My Life Better
Over the last 10+ years of my writing reaching over 100 million people all around the world, I've been asked a lot of questions. What's my favourite sex toy, favourite cologne, favourite non-toxic dish soap, etc. etc.... Well today, I won't be talking about any of those things. But I will be...
Continue Reading
5 Steps To Cultivating Courage
Jul 8, 2013
Jordan Gray
5 Steps To Cultivating Courage
Cultivating courage is an essential process in the journey towards living your full life.  It takes courage to discover (and live) who you are. I define courage as having a strong enough of a mind to act in times of challenge, pain, or anxiety despite fear.  Not in the absence of fear… but...
Continue Reading