Follow Your Life Compass:Realign Your Work in One Evening
“The way you explained it made me see I have a second chance.”(Jan B., a workshop participant) The problem: Great job title, dull MondayFrom the outside everything looks perfect: the new executive title, expanded management role and team, handsome compensation package and other fringe benefits. But on the inside??? A steady voice asks, “Why do I feel so blah?” Meetings feel heavy, projects feel endless, your energy drops. This is not laziness; it is a sign that your work no longer matches your inner direction. Many leaders ignore that signal. They push harder until three symptoms appear: constant fatigue, quiet cynicism, fading engagement. The Story: One midnight decision in LausanneLast spring in Lausanne I led a leadership retreat. Halfway through day one I shared a simple tool called the Life Compass. Jan is a 32‑year‑old engineer walking with crutches after a ski accident. Engaged, he took copious notes and asked probing questions. At 7:45 the next morning he entered the room, smiling wide. “Cécile, I wrote my football coach at midnight. I’m quitting my training. It doesn’t fit my compass.” He showed me the message: Coach, thank you for everything, but evening trainings steal the time I need for family and my MBA. I’m stepping away. This is effective today. His face said it all: relief. He had given himself permission. Maybe the coach thought, “Life compass? Nonsense.” That reaction is outside Jan’s control. Remember Edition 1: other people’s opinions are none of your business. The reframe: Your career is a sailboat, not a trainMany CVs look like train timetables: degree → analyst → manager → vice president. Real life is more like sailing. Winds change, currents shift, new islands appear. Adjust your course by one small degree tonight and you reach a different harbour by the end of the year. No big jump required, just half an hour and a pen. The C–P–S Life‑Compass Audit: 30 minutes, three clear steps | Name (10 min each) | Action | Why it matters | C | List your five main values | C- Core Write five words you would gladly carve into your desk. Use active words like “Create”, “Protect”, “Inspire”. | You need a clear north star. | P | Score your activities | P - Pivot Make a table. Put every major role, project, and hobby in the left column. Score each from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) on how much it matches your values. | Numbers reveal energy leaks quickly. | S | Improve or exit one low item | S-Shift Circle the lowest score. Choose one action: Delete (stop doing it), Delegate (give it to someone else), or Design (change the rules so it fits your values). Plan a first step within 72 hours. | Action turns insight into progress. |
That is the whole process. Your compass is now set. Real example: Sarah, a COO, scored her weekly global sales call a 3. It clashed with her value “Build, don’t babysit.” She kept the call but changed the format: no slides, cameras on, quick sharing of wins. Score went to 8 and her energy rose. Frequently asked questionsWhat if everything scores 7 or higher?
Great. Now ask, “What makes a 7 into a 9?” Adjust details. What if my boss controls my calendar?
You still control your approach. Change your preparation, shorten your debrief, or rethink the story you tell yourself about the task. Small shifts change how the work feels. Is quitting commitments risky?
Staying mis‑aligned is riskier. Long‑term mismatch drains creativity, increases mistakes, and leads to quiet quitting. Wise leaders’ course‑correct early. Your challengeThis evening, pour your favourite tea or coffee. Run C–P–S. Take a blurred photo of your chosen S-Shift item and DM me ((cecile@speak4impact.net) with #LifeCompassShift. I will choose one entry for a private 30‑minute compass session. Navigate with courage. Small course changes create big destinations. Yours Truly, | 
