Find your true north

Join Bridget Williams, founder of social enterprise Bead and Proceed, as she unpacks the themes of selfdiscovery, empowerment and the intersection of sustainability and creativity.

When it comes to directions, I confess, I’m more likely to point skyward than to accurately pinpoint north. Yet, when it comes to internal direction – discovering my true purpose – I stand confidently. It’s been a journey, but I’ve found my true north, and it’s illuminated a path I’m eager to share with you.

The notion of ‘finding yourself’ has always felt incomplete to me. Instead, I advocate for the idea of ‘creating yourself’. If you’ve followed my mahi, you’ll know that creativity is not just a passion of mine; it’s a guiding principle. In what I call The Empowered Triangle, creativity stands as one of three foundational pillars. I’ll take you through the Triangle in more detail soon but, first, why is empowerment important? And why now, especially?

The world is currently in a ‘polycrisis’, a term first used by complexity theorists Edgar Morin and Anne Brigitte Kern in their book Homeland Earth. The term polycrisis refers to facing multiple crises at the same time. From climate change to social injustice to international conflict to poverty, the challenges before us are huge and interconnected. So where do we put our focus? It doesn’t help that, according to studies, the human attention span is declining. We’re up against experts in their field who are specifically designing tools and apps to snatch our attention and keep us off task for as long as we’re physically able to ‘doom-scroll’. With so much choice, information overload, and these very real worries that rest on our shoulders, it’s no wonder we have a decisionparalysis dilemma.

We’ve stopped backing our ability to make choices.

We’ve stopped believing we can make an impact.

We’ve stopped taking action when we need to act more than ever.

So where do we start? Because in the HR sector, you’re also being called to step up to positive change. My assumption is that’s why you pursued a career in HR because you care. You care a lot. But it’s crucial to acknowledge that we can’t solve everything at once without risking burnout. Let’s start by asking the simple question: what’s your Impact Patch?

True service isn’t sacrifice.

Your Impact Patch is the unique space where your strengths, resources and platforms converge to make a positive change. It’s about focusing on what you can do exceptionally well, refining and developing that area to contribute meaningfully. If we collectively chip away at our impact patches, and give ourselves some grace in the process, in time, the quilt is made. Because here’s the thing: like any humble craft, when it’s made from a place of light, joy and kindness, you can feel it in the finished product. So let your Impact Patch be a space that allows you to exercise your natural talents and values.

Now, let’s get back to the Triangle I mentioned. The three corners consist of sustainability, creativity and leadership, and when you combine these, it can ignite empowered action. Sustainability gives us direction. When we can get clear on what we care about (through the help of our Impact Patch) we have a direction toward where we want to make positive change. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are one sustainable framework that can help with this. Creativity is the motor behind you. When we operate from a place of creativity, we’re energised, we’re ideating solutions and we’re in a place of optimism and flow. So, if sustainability gives us direction, creativity is the motor behind that direction. We need to make sure we’re servicing the engine and that’s the leadership component. I am referring to internal leadership, where we take the time to understand what we personally need to ensure we care for ourselves.

My friend Alice Anderson once said, “True service isn’t sacrifice”. If we’re to care about people and the planet, we must recognise that we’re part of this ecosystem and not forget to look after ourselves. So, as you embark on your journey of selfdiscovery and positive impact, remember to nurture your own wellbeing.

…like any humble craft, when it’s made from a place of light, joy and kindness, you can feel it in the finished product.

I hope you find these insights valuable. Scan the QR code below to explore our free resources, designed to help you uncover your Impact Patch and cultivate the creative environments needed for personal and communal growth. And, remember, no matter what direction you take, enjoy the journey while you get there.

Bridget Williams founded the social enterprise Bead and Proceed, which exists to educate people about the 17 United Nations SDGs and inspire action towards them. Her passion for sustainability and using creativity as a tool for innovation has made her a recognised SDG expert, helping organisations with sustainable strategy and SDG reporting. Bridget is a selected World Economic Forum Global Shaper and member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network, which has led her to become a creditable global change maker. Her efforts have been recognised and endorsed by the Rt Hon Helen Clark and the JCI Osaka Outstanding Young Person’s Programme. If you would like a workshop with you and your team or are keen to know more about Bridget Williams’ service, you can reach her at bridget@beadandproceed.com and connect with her on LinkedIn.