What would we do without our digital cartographer, google maps? We’d be lost. Never knowing how to or how long it would take to get to and from points A and B.
Without urban planners and architects proactively thinking about our well-being and safety, we might find ourselves stuck in ditches much more often.
Everywhere we want to go, there is some guide, in the form of information, to get us there. This isn’t accidental, it’s called wayfinding.
Technically, wayfinding is the use of information in spatial environments to get somewhere. Those pieces of information take the form of landmarks, symbols, or colors. This information helps us get to places efficiently and confidently.
Though commonplace in physical settings, information like this isn't as readily available when planning our careers, relationships, or endeavors. The real world is much more wicked than kind. Information comes at us sporadically and surprisingly. We don't know the rules of our environment and feedback loops are unpredictable.
However, like wayfinding, where planners use tactics to ensure we move from place to place without getting lost, we can construct our ways by following external and internal signals alike.
Principles of Wayfinding
Signs are deceptively available. We need them, yet we take them for granted.
Just drive down a busy street and imagine if stop signs weren't there. Or try to imagine being involved in an accident and not knowing which entrance held the emergency room at the hospital. We rely on signage and the information they intend to convey to make good decisions.
In modern times, this signage is planned for by organizations, such as the Society for Environmental Graphic Design. Institutions like this spend their collective energy ensuring that our built world is easy to navigate.
But, signage that directs humans in one direction or the other has been around for centuries. The earliest evidence of wayfinding is from the Polynesians, who used the stars and far-off islands to orient themselves as they navigated through the Pacific ocean. This form of wayfinding led them to discover Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.
In the process, they inadvertently provided the following steps that we can use to find our way when we have no guidance.
Orient yourself - knowing where you currently are, what you have, and where you want to go.
Select a course - deciding which route you want to try first
Manage the course - as you journey onto the route, paying attention to the feedback you’re getting from your environment
Recognize the destination - as you continue on the journey, understanding what the form of your destination will look like
Finding Your Way in the Day to Day
Using principles from wayfinding, we can use internal and external signals to construct our way to a specific or general destination.
As I’ve implemented wayfinding in my life, I’ve realized that these signals take the form of - having principles, understanding your environment, and asking for feedback. Together, the three tactics can give you some light during dark times.
Orienting Yourself
Being explicit with your principles is like constructing guard rails when wayfinding. They clearly articulate how you should behave in certain situations so you know which turn to take, and ultimately set boundaries so you don't inadvertently fall off the map.
Like choosing which islands are ideal landmarks, discovering which principles best align with your path takes time and patience. Some principles are ever-present, whereas some need deliberate selection based on what you’re trying to accomplish.
In the book designing your life, the author's Bill Burnett and Dave Evans suggest deliberately writing down your life and work views. The exercise takes you through a few questions and leads to clarity on what you think and who you want to be:
For life view, ask yourself:
Why are we here
What is the meaning or purpose of life
What is the relationship between the individual and others
Where do family, country, and community fit into it all
What is good and evil
Though this exercise is meant for a general life view, it can be adapted to more narrow endeavors. Take for example my pursuit of developing passive income through real estate.
Why am I here? I want to attain financial independence by some date
What is the relationship between myself and my tenants? I want to be responsive and detailed
What do good and bad look like? I’ll acquire properties at a sustainable rate while ensuring a high level of service to my tenants
These guiding principles have ensured that I remain dedicated to searching for and acquiring properties without losing myself in the process.
They’ve helped me stay on my way.
Paying Attention to The Course
Having values is a good first step, but just being internally oriented won’t get you anywhere. You need to think about where you are and what’s in your way.
A few years ago I learned this the hard way when I went go-karting at Circuit of the Americas, an Austin-based F1 course. Race after race, I kept getting crushed. Even when I was pushing the metal, I fell behind. What I observed was that I was becoming hesitant on the hard turns, while others continued to push on, even if it seemed like they may topple over. This taught me a key lesson about go-karting - keep pushing, even if you’re scared.
The more important lesson it taught me was that understanding truths about your operating environment will give you clarity on how to take optimal paths on your route.
A favorite example of mine in understanding your operating environment is shared by Ray Dalio in his Principle for getting what you want out of life.
Dalio clearly outlines how growth or progress occurs. Through preserving over time and examining his actions, he has become one of the greatest investors of our time.
When understanding your operating environment, there are areas to examine to understand the objective environment you’re in -
What forces propel or constrict me in this environment
Who plays an important role in my movement in up or down; what role do they play
What resources are free or do I have to pay for in some form
Getting Close to The Destination
After considering your principles and understanding operating dynamics, pay attention to the feedback of others or the environment in determining how far you are. If you’re seeing the returns you expected from the market or getting positive reviews from your audience, you know you’re getting close to where you set off for.
Feedback is an invaluable and overlooked tool that's proven to keep you motivated and help you course-correct when you need to.
Finding your way is a journey in and of itself. It can be challenging and arduous. But, like the Polynesians who discovered what they sought out to - pay attention to yourself, your environment, and signals, and you’ll eventually find your way too.
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