A Lesson From Google Maps

This morning, I had to drop my son at the British Council, Kuala Lumpur, for a test he was taking. But, I was not sure about the location of the British Council Building. So I did the obvious-I logged the examination center address into Google Maps, and it promptly pulled up the directions.

I also noticed something on Google Maps that I had not paid attention to before. The mobile App initially pulled out the “Destination” view giving an overarching perspective of the route from my house to the destination. When I pressed the Start Tab, the App shifted into a “Navigation” view giving the specific directions to take for the first three or four hundred meters.

Seeing this shift on Google Maps flashed a thought in my head about goal setting.

Often, we struggle to start any new initiative or activity, worrying about how far the destination is. The distance to cover becomes the deterrent to start the journey in the first place. Thoughts like ” I don’t think I can do it. It’s so tough!!” flash through our minds. Paradoxically, the clearer we are about the goal and the path to the destination, the more we resist taking the first steps. Because we know how arduous the journey will be.

Google Maps is a great metaphor for how we should approach any significant goal we wish to pursue. It converted my journey of 11 kms into a “Navigation” view, showing me the direction to start the trip and the first few hundred meters ahead.

It is the same with our big life goals. When setting goals, we should certainly be clear about the destination we are seeking. But, once the destination is clear, we should shift our focus to the “Navigation” view and look out for the immediate next steps knowing that it will eventually take us to the destination.

• You struggle with the good habit of reading books. Don’t get put off by the 300 pages. Focus on the five pages you want to read for 20 minutes.
• You have had this dream to start blogging, don’t think about how many followers you want and how big it should be. Start writing something for yourself. That could be your first step.
• You desire to start a business. Please start with the first step of writing a business plan on paper and take it from there.

Martin Luther King Jr Said it nicely, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” Google Maps gave me the same message !!.