For the past 8 Illuminates, we’ve explored each of the learnable competencies of the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Model. This is the eighth: Pursue Noble Goals. You can go back to see the past ones here.

In a couple of weeks, I am moving away from my home of six years to a new town a 31-hour drive away. If you’ve ever moved before, you know that it can be an emotional and logistical rollercoaster. How am I using my Noble Goal to act as my True North to focus my attention and decrease anxiety? Read on.

Illuminate: Attention Scattered? Feeling Overwhelmed? Harness Your True North.

In a couple of weeks, I am moving away from my home of six years to a new town a 31-hour drive away. If you’ve ever moved before, you know that it can be an emotional and logistical rollercoaster.

On the one hand, I feel sad, nostalgic, and grateful. I feel tender thinking about leaving my beloved friends, work family, and routines I’ve grown to love.

On the other hand, I feel anxious, stressed, and nervous. My to-do list floweth over, and the number of days left to complete it seems to be shrinking way too quickly. My brain feels divided amongst a billion little tasks, and the faster I run, the more bullet points the list seems to spawn.

Often, I feel lost in the tapestry of these thoughts and emotions. One moment, nostalgia. The next, overwhelm. The next, a must do to-do list item. Often, I get so lost in my present thoughts and emotions that I forget to ask myself: What do I really want here? I have many choices about how I spend my last weeks in this place I love. How do I want to focus my time and attention during this precious time?

This is where my Noble Goal acts as my True North. In the storm of my overwhelming emotions and anxious thoughts, I turn toward my Noble Goal: To nurture inner illumination. What choice can I choose to nurture inner illumination, in both myself and others?

When I ask myself this, the answer to the question “Where should I focus my attention?” becomes clear. For me, nurturing inner illumination builds connection and relationships. I want to focus my attention on people. This means letting go of the tight grip on my to-do list and prioritizing quality experiences with those I love.

My True North points me towards seeking connection during these last few weeks.

What do you really want here? How do you want to focus your time and attention?

REFRESH + RENEW EVERY MONDAY WITH ILLUMINATE IN YOUR INBOX!

How do you feel reflecting on your Noble Goal?

In what little ways might you live out your Noble Goal further?

How do you want to move forward with what you’ve harnessed today?

Illuminate is a weekly e-mail series that provides practical tips + galvanizing inspirations for practicing an emotionally intelligent life. In our time together, we’ll operate from the assumption that you have all the wisdom you need inside of yourself + that you have a purpose the world needs to see. We will explore the tools + techniques to illuminate your own inner wisdom and purpose. If you’d like to receive this free gift of goodness in your inbox every week, subscribe here.