For many people, Horizon 5 is the most difficult Horizon of Focus: Purpose and Principles (https://gettingthingsdone.com/2011/01/the-6-horizons-of-focus/). For me, it’s been the constant that has guided me throughout my career and life.
One of my main purposes in Horizon 5 is to help others reach their potential. This aligns nicely with my guiding principle that everyone has strengths, and if given a chance they can accomplish great things. This is what motivated me to get a degree in Music Education. I felt that I could make a difference in many people’s lives by helping them through music. When that path didn’t work for me, I had to follow another path. At this time, I hadn’t discovered GTD yet, but the theme continues.
I took a position in a call center, where I helped those around me continue to improve every day. When promoted to supervisor, this was a driving force that motivated me to put in extra hours every week analyzing team performance, and individual gaps that I could help with. This then led to my current position as a corporate trainer/internal consultant, where I made the most impact collaborating with various teams to help them discover and develop their strengths, and implement change initiatives that improved opportunity and ability for employees. This drove me to also pursue a Masters Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change. Earning this degree helped me develop my skillset to help drive organization change to help me improve opportunity for all employees.
Helping others reach their potential has always been a driving force behind what I do, and it continues to guide me in the major decisions I make in my life. After all, without a compass, it’s difficult navigating through the woods. Your life’s ambitions can be great or small, but being aware of them will help take you where you need to be.
If you haven’t established your Horizon 5, what is holding you back? Stephen Covey says “begin with the end in mind.” Figure out your end, and your chances of success will amplify.