Foundations:

Maker Orientation Guide

What this guide is for:

The Maker Orientation Guide supports the Orientation stage of the Foundations system.

Its purpose is to help you understand where you are right now — and why things may feel heavier, slower, or more confusing than they should — before making any decisions about what to do next.

This guide is not designed to push you forward.


It exists to help you pause with clarity, not urgency.

Where this fits in the Foundations system

Foundations Path
Orientation → Decisions → Focus → Execution → Closure

You are here: Orientation

The Orientation stage exists to help you:

  • recognize your current state without judgment

  • notice why progress may feel stuck or scattered

  • calm your nervous system before opening new decisions

This stage is complete when you feel oriented enough to notice decisions — without needing to make them immediately.

When to use this guide

Use this guide when:

  • you’re unsure what to work on next

  • everything feels important, but nothing feels clear

  • you feel pressure to decide, but lack confidence in any direction

  • you want to slow down without losing momentum

Do not use this guide when:

  • you’re ready to commit to a direction immediately

  • you’re looking for tactics, checklists, or execution plans

  • decisions are already settled and you simply need to act

Orientation is not action.


It’s preparation for better action later.

What this guide helps you do

Inside the Maker Orientation Guide, you’ll find:

  • a way to name where you are right now

  • language for why things feel heavy or unclear

  • a calm filter for noticing decisions without reopening them

  • space to pause without falling behind

The goal is not certainty.

The goal is grounding.

Access the guide

👉 Download the Maker Orientation Guide

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Returning to the system

Orientation is the beginning of the Foundations path — not the whole system.

When you feel ready to settle decisions, the next stage is Decisions & Focus, which helps you choose intentionally and protect your attention before moving into execution.

To understand how all Foundations tools work together, return to the Foundations Overview.