For those of you who are familiar with the concept of the desire path this should not come as a huge surprise, and for those who are not, the desire path is simple – we see them in all aspects of life, especially in nature all the time.
When you see a path that is worn in the grass or trodden across a field, that is a desire path. It is simply the path we create when we take the shortest, most convenient route from one location to another that is not already defined. In that moment and choice we have created a desire path, the most important thing to remember in this choice is that it is your path, your desire that has led you down it.
If we are to truly succeed however, it is important that we offer ourselves the opportunity and freedom to find and follow our own desire path in business and work, not just in nature. This can be something as simple as stating our opinion in a team meeting, or as complex as pushing through with a global product launch or major marketing campaign and anything in between.
The application and validation of desire paths has already been documented in the design of public spaces, landscaping and campus environments as we see evidence of how the flow and design of footpaths can be optimised after initial planning based on the creation of desire paths throughout the spaces once we allow the public to move freely and determine the best way forward outside our initial planned out designs.
A core benefit to understand here is that when you follow your desire path, allow it to permeate your decision making and strategic thinking at work, you are no longer following a set of instructions or a script from a foreign entity defining your next steps. This means your successes are entirely grounded in your own abilities and your way of seeing the world or market. It is your thinking and ability that is moving you forward – this becomes a self reinforcing capacity as you learn to trust your instincts from the results you are seeing.
The desire path thinking should come naturally to anyone who has an entrepreneurial approach, or is hoping to enable change of any kind – be that through a new company, product or service – as innovation is not something that comes about by following pre-defined scripts or procedures. Innovation and change is what we enable when we free ourselves to follow our desire path – we find different / better / new / more creative ways to tackle problems that are in front of us.
The best part is that finding your desire path is not just about following your strengths or enabling your success, you don’t have to be a beacon of change or risk-taking entrepreneur to benefit from the mindset, it allows you the opportunity to further who you are in the work place and become and inspirational figure or thought leader among your colleagues if that is your ambition.
As the evidence all around us clearly shows – if you take the lead and follow your desire, others will follow.