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My girlfriend Elaine has a business project she’s been working on for nearly a year. This morning when we spoke she voiced her frustration about how her project seems to be going in a different direction than what she anticipated. I smiled and shared an experience with her.

Recently we drove from Seattle to Boulder, about 1500 miles. Our Prius has a GPS unit that makes life so easy. I just enter where I want to go and within seconds, I’m given the choice of three routes including the shortest distance, the shortest time and an alternative route, with more or less use of freeways.

The greatest thing about GPS is that I can just program in where I want to go and not worry about it. I know that if I program Boulder into the unit, I will end up in Boulder. Of course I can’t predict the twists and the turns the road may take, the time, the weather, construction or detours along the way or even traffic. But I know that no matter what, I’m going to end up in Boulder because that’s what’s programmed.

I know that Boulder is basically southeast of Seattle. However, there were points on our drive where I was heading north, and points where I was actually headed west.  There were times I was arguing with the GPS unit saying, “No, Boulder is that way” and pointing east. But, no matter where it leads me I have faith that the GPS will bring me to Boulder in the shortest and best way to get there.

Our lives are very much like our GPS units. We choose a goal of what we want, head in that direction, have faith, and keep our own internal GPS set to our heart’s desire. However, sometimes the road is bumpy, sometimes it winds more than we’d like, and sometimes we hit some huge potholes. Sometimes we go in what appears to be the wrong direction, while other times we have detours that we could never have predicted. Some of us get so frustrated with the twists and turns in the road that we convince ourselves we’re going in the wrong direction and depart from the course completely. Others turn off the GPS, forget where they’re going and wander about aimlessly.

Funny thing is, when I get confused or think I’m lost, that’s when it’s most important for me to remember where I’m heading. That’s when I need the GPS more than ever. As long as I keep the GPS set to the goal, I know I will get there regardless of where I think it might be going.

As I relayed the story to Elaine she started laughing. She got it. She had already set her own GPS and was moving towards her goal, just in a different way. She thanked me for the reminder that sometimes we choose the scenic route and other times we choose the shortest time, but both of the paths are still going the same place.

Rest assured, if your GPS, your Global Persistence System is set and your goal is firmly in your mind, you’ll always get there, even if you think you’re temporarily going in the wrong direction.

Just set your GPS to your heart’s desire, have faith that you’re going the right way even when it appear that you’re not, focus on the destination not the potholes, enjoy the scenery along the journey and don’t give up!

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Gail Lynne Goodwin is the founder of InspireMeToday.com, bringing the best inspiration to the world. InspireMeToday.com provides free inspiration, each day from a new Inspirational Luminary, to a global community of folks from over 150 countries. Gail has interviewed many well-known names including Sir Richard Branson, Guy Laliberte, Seth Godin, Tony Hseih, Gary Vaynerchuk, Michael Gerber, Marci Shimoff, Jack Canfield and hundreds more. According to Mashable, Gail was one of 2009's Top 25 Most Inspirational People on Twitter.

Prior to InspireMeToday.com, Gail spent several years as manager for her recording artist daughter, Carly. As a result of the success of their co-penned song, "Baby Come Back Home", Gail accompanied her daughter to bases in the US and to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where Carly performed for our troops. Gail and Carly created the 'World's Longest Letter' of love and support and delivered the 18-mile long scroll on a month-long tour of Iraq and the Persian Gulf in 2006.

Gail is excited to present her latest course, Love in 21 Days, a step-by-step guide to finding love online. Love in 21 Days is founded on a logical process that has been tested - and proven! - by not only Gail, but also by students around the world who too have found love.

Gail is a published author and a regular writer for the Huffington Post. She offers mentoring and mastermind services to clients worldwide from her home in Whitefish, Montana. Follow Gail on Twitter or Google+.

This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. That’s an amazing article, Gail, and I love the analogy of a GPS for your life, ensuring that you will reach your pre-set destination – if only you don’t give up!

    It reminds me of another example I read first in ‘Success Secrets’. If success is the surface of a sphere, and you are in the center, all it takes to achieve success is that you start and keep moving in one direction. In time, you WILL reach the surface. On the other hand, if you stop, give up, or twist and turn, you may end up going around in circles near the center, never achieving success.

    All success
    Dr.Mani

  2. Gail – great analogy. I’ve never thought of using the GPS analogy with our goals, but it is appropriate. I’ve written about both GPS and GTD on my blog at http://johnkendrickonline.com I for one, use Jesus Christ as my GPS. I know no matter what turns and twist come into my life, as long as I stay connected to Him and His Word, I will end up in the right destination and do not have to worry at all about the changing winds of life. If this seems strange to you or your readers check out the link at the top of my blog entitled, “Feeling Lost??? Get GPS” Thanks for your post, John

  3. Thanks Dr. Mani. I appreciate your sharing another perspective of the same thing. If we keep seeing it and keep hearing about it from different sources, sometimes that makes it easier for us to remember the information and actually implement it in our lives. Thanks again for you comments.

    Hugs,

    Gail

  4. Dear John,

    Thanks for your note and for sharing your post with us. Jesus is certainly a form of GPS for many. This doesn’t seem strange to me at all and I’m certain many of our readers will identify with your comments as well. Thank you for sharing them with us.

    Hugs,

    Gail

  5. Gail, it was great to see you today and thanks for suggesting I read today’s post. As you said, it is important to keep your vision larger than your fears. As I shared with you the other day; the moment our minds start to try and ‘figure it all out’, fear is one pattern our minds trick us to fall into. This post reminds me to keep the big picture (the puzzle on the box as you call it) in constant view and just see if I can find a place the piece fits, perhaps I won’t be able to see it right now, but I’ll come back to it later.
    If guardian angels exist, there’s no doubt your one of mine.

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