Calibration Required

The other day, I set out early to have my car battery replaced and with a brand new one installed, all of my vehicles settings were suddenly cleared; I needed to reset them. So when I first started the engine, an unfamiliar message warned me that I needed to “Drive in circles” in order to calibrate my navigation system. My first thought was…I HAVE BEEN driving in circles all morning, trying to find an oil change store that was open!

Then I got to thinking. That could also be the theme of many years in my life––seemingly driving in circles.

Let’s look at that concept a little deeper. While it is a common phrase, one that fuels seemingly crazy expressions like ‘they’re just chasing their own tail,’ it’s not necessarily the same as trying several directions or options in our lives. Without the first step of driving in circles, it’s impossible for a guidance system to know which way is north. Sure, it could randomly pick some angle, but then every single guidance after that would be incorrect and we could not only spend incredible amounts of wasted time, but end up missing our destination altogether.

Interestingly, finding “North” may require more than driving in circles. There is also a physical phenomenon regarding “True North.” True north is a fixed point on the globe, but there is also “magnetic north,” which is quite different. Magnetic north is the direction in which a compass needle points as it aligns with the Earth’s magnetic field. What is interesting is that the magnetic North Pole shifts and changes over time, in response to changes in the Earth’s magnetic core. It is not fixed.

In September of 2019, for the first time in 360 years, both magnetic and true North were perfectly aligned. It kind of reminds me of that old saw, about a broken clock being right twice a day.

Point being: Be sure you fully understand your North, and your relationship to it. Is your North moving? If so…are you moving along with it?

Are you clear on where you’re headed? Have you taken the time to invest in those circular journeys that seem random and aimless but actually help your orientation to the “true” North? It might be a good idea to revisit them; to re-calibrate every now and again and be sure you’re still headed in the direction you intended. Don’t confuse times of less productivity as worthless. Sometimes they’re necessary to better know where you’re headed.