Existence can be a bumpy road. Often it can feel like newly laid tarmac, while other times it can be a pot hole-filled country road. So, where does GPS come into that? Well, a good GPS service will try to get us to where we want to go via the best route possible, and that’s also what we want from life, from a GPS Theory of life.
GPS Vs GPS Theory Of Life
Unlike the scientific GPS (Global Positioning System), which is a problem of geometry and time, because it does not simply “know” where we are. Instead, it calculates our position by measuring how long it takes for radio signals to travel from space to our device, via atomic clocks and trilateration. Whereas the GPS Theory of life is a concept, a philosophical and psychological framework for dealing with failure and anxiety.
The GPS Theory of life is a popular mental model used in self-help and cognitive reframing, which I first came across in a tweet, of all places.
The Core Principles Of GPS Theory Of Life
Radical acceptance
The analogy: When you miss a motorway exit, Google Maps or whatever GPS service we’re using doesn’t yell at us, call us stupid, or shut down. It simply says, “Recalculating”, or it does this automatically without saying anything. It does this without judgment, making it the “No judgment” clause.
The lesson: We often judge ourselves harshly for mistakes, especially when compared to other people. At least in my experience as a therapist. The GPS Theory of life suggests adopting neutrality. A mistake is just data. It’s nothing more than a coordinate change, and not a reflection of our worth. We all make mistakes. There’s not a person alive who has never made a mistake. To err is human.
Resilience via “Recalculating”
The analogy: When the GPS immediately looks for the next best available route from our current location. It doesn’t waste time wishing you were still back at the previous turn.
The lesson: This aligns with the psychological concept of Problem-Focused Coping. There’s no point in dwelling on what can’t be changed. So, instead of dwelling on the mistake, it’s more helpful to immediately pivot to “I am where I am, so what is the best move to get to my goal from here?”
Simply put, we look for new ways to get us back on track, and that’s basically all life is. There will always be road bumps and traffic jams in life, but that doesn’t mean we pack in the journey. So don’t lose ourselves to anger and self-blame, and instead recalculate our next step (Lee, 2021).
The persistence of the destination
The analogy: Taking a detour adds time, but it rarely makes the destination impossible to reach.
The lesson: This addresses the fear that one wrong move ruins a life plan. In reality, most goals (career, relationships, happiness) can be reached through an infinite number of different paths. The timeline may change, but the destination remains valid.
GPS Theory Of Life: Expect Detours
Fear of failure
One of the biggest risks to reaching our destination is apprehension about the unknown, or potential setbacks, which can prevent us from taking the necessary risks and seizing opportunities. Life will also throw us countless amounts of curveballs, and it’s how we respond to those, pick ourselves up, and get back on course that makes the difference.
As the GPS theory of life teaches us, mistakes are a normal part of being alive. So view all setbacks as learning experiences and opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable end points to our journey.
Lack of clarity
If we’re unsure of what our destination is, then that lack of a specific and clear vision can cause our goals to become vague, making it difficult to create an actionable roadmap. We wouldn’t just type in Paris, Tokyo, or LA as a destination into our GPS; we’d use an exact address. The same applies in life. We need to work out what our goals are and make them as clear as possible. A great way to do this is to apply SMART goals to our goal planning. This can also help with procrastination.
Negative self-talk
Often, when we’ve made a mistake, our internal critic will take the wheel and will sabotage our happiness and confidence, making progress difficult. But just like how GPS doesn’t judge us, it just figures out our next step, the GPS Theory of Life also wants us to treat ourselves with the same non-judgmental attitude. To be kind to ourselves. We often forget to be kind to ourselves the way that matters most, and I don’t mean buying ourselves a treat; I mean actually being kind in how we talk to ourselves.
Lack of support
There’s a reason why we all use GPS devices, and that’s because we don’t have the memory of a London Black Cabbie. For those that don’t know, A Black Cab taxi driver in London, as with most cities in the UK, has to develop what they call ‘The Knowledge’, which in London means memorising 26,000 streets and thousands of points of interest across the city (Griesbauer, Manley, Wiener, and Spiers, 2022). This became a requirement for Black Cabbies in 1865 (TfL, n.d.). I couldn’t even tell you how to get to the local supermarket that I use regularly.
For everyone else who doesn’t want to dedicate years of their life to developing this cognitive map, asking for directions from our GPS is acceptable. But why stop there? If someone, something, or some organisation can help us get to where we want to go in life, then why not use that valuable resource?
Attempting to achieve significant goals in isolation can be an uphill battle. A supportive social support network is crucial for encouragement and accountability.
Summary
The GPS Theory of life described in this article is basically a tool for emotional regulation. It encourages us to treat our life choices with the same mechanical, non-judgmental logic of a navigation computer: Error detected → Accept new position → Plot new course. It can be that simple for all of us.
As always, leave your feedback in the comments section below. Also, please share your experiences with the GPS theory of life and emotional regulation in the comments section below as well. Don’t forget, if you want to stay up-to-date with my blog, you can sign up for my newsletter below. Alternatively, click the red bell icon in the bottom right corner to get push notifications for new articles.
Lastly, if you’d like to support my blog, please find the PayPal and Ko-fi donation payment options below. Until next time, Unwanted Life readers.
References
Griesbauer, E. M., Manley, E., Wiener, J. M., & Spiers, H. J. (2022). London taxi drivers: A review of neurocognitive studies and an exploration of how they build their cognitive map of London. Hippocampus, 32(1), 3-20. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hipo.23395.
Lee, I. F. (2021, July). Recalculating. . . Finding your bearings in a crisis. The Aesthetics of Joy. Retrieved from https://aestheticsofjoy.com/recalculating-finding-your-bearings-in-a-crisis.
TfL. (n.d.) Learn the Knowledge of London. Transport for London. Retrieved from https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/learn-the-knowledge-of-london.