Some time ago, I shared with a friend that I “needed to find my bearings.” Life at the time had left my head spinning. I felt uncentred, unbalanced, and unsure of what to do next.

My friend is a Yachtmaster and used his experience as a sailor to offer what turned out to be profound advice. He said, “Mike, when navigating without equipment at sea, you take a bearing from at least three known points. That places you reasonably accurately on the chart so that you can plot your course. You can make course corrections from there.”

I thought about my friend’s advice and, given the state I was in, decided I had nothing to lose giving it a try. I reflected on what my “three points” might be, engaged with them and was amazed at the impact. By the time I was done, I discovered that I no longer felt like I was teetering out of balance on one foot and surprisingly emerged with a strong sense of direction as to how to move forward.

It’s probable that each of us may use different reference points to find our bearings. In fact, I suspect that even a single individual may find different reference points helpful at various times.

To illustrate the concept (and finish my story), these were mine that weekend:

1. A Long Run.

While one of my favourite hobbies is diverse forms of exercise, my “go-to” exercise on the weekend is a “long run.” For me, “long runs” stand apart from the workouts I do during the week, which are typically shorter and more intense. My favourite part of “long runs” is that I eventually get in a zone where there’s a regular cadence and forget I’m running. I love music and have tunes blasting away. For those few minutes, it is like I disappear to another planet. It is my “happy place” for the week.

2. Self-Discovery.

I suppose I am a weirdo; but for me, self-discovery inspires me. When I have the time and space to reflect and discover something new about myself, I experience a surge of fresh wind beneath my wings. This particular weekend, I discovered a new technique to help me come to terms with things I appreciate less about myself. The approach was powerful. I cried a few deep tears. And while the tears had cathartic merit in their own right, what I learned about myself through that process was exhilarating. By the time I was done, I felt a bit more like myself again.

3. Prayer.

My faith is pretty important to me, so it was not a huge surprise that praying became my third reference point. What was unique however was, in this particular case, it was a short prayer with my wife praying together for our kids that had a surprisingly significant impact in causing me to regain my bearings.

As I mentioned, the experience of these three reference points enabled me to regain my bearings that weekend. I emerged with renewed energy and a newfound perspective on the way forward.

I share my experience not to suggest that my reference points that weekend need to be yours. Rather, I simply wanted to share this simplistic concept I learned from my friend which turned out to have a profound impact.

Might you be in a place where you have “lost your bearings?”

What “three reference points” might help you re-find your centre?