True North: How to Measure Success in Modern Life

The Difference Between True North, Magnetic North, and Grid North

Understanding the distinction between True North, Magnetic North, and Grid North is essential for anyone navigating with a compass or map. These three directional references also serve as powerful metaphors for our life journey.

True North

• Points toward the geographic North Pole (the axis of Earth’s rotation)
• Remains constant and provides a fixed reference for global navigation
• Represented by lines of longitude that converge at the pole
• Serves as the primary reference in astronomy and global coordinate systems

True North represents our authentic path and deepest values—the direction we genuinely want to travel in life. It’s our internal compass pointing toward what matters most.

Magnetic North

• Points toward Earth’s magnetic North Pole
• Shifts gradually over time as Earth’s magnetic field changes
• What a compass needle naturally points to
• It is currently located in the Arctic Ocean north of Canada and is moving toward Siberia.
• Differs from True North by an angle called “magnetic declination” or “variation.”

Magnetic North symbolizes those compelling forces that can pull us off course—immediate desires, cultural pressures, or short-term rewards that seem right initially but may lead us away from our authentic path. This proverb eloquently sums up this concept, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in loss. Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when laughter ends, the grief remains.” We don’t want to stay here.

Grid North

• A navigational reference used on maps and charts
• Points to the top of a map grid (aligned with a coordinate system)
• Created to simplify navigation within specific mapped areas
• Often roughly aligned with True North but adjusted for practical application
• Grid lines remain parallel rather than converging at the poles

Grid North represents structured guidance systems—like this course—that provide practical frameworks to help us navigate toward our True North. These systems offer clarity and direction when the path forward seems unclear.

This course serves as your Grid North—a navigational tool designed to help you recognize the difference between your True North (authentic values) and the Magnetic North forces that might pull you off course, guiding you back to the path you truly wish to follow.