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Quick Summary: Boyd Varty’s The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life offers a refreshing approach to finding clarity in life for today’s professionals.
Drawing on lessons from African wildlife tracking, it highlights how to embrace uncertainty, connect with your instincts, and make meaningful decisions in a fast-paced world.
Perfect for those juggling careers and purpose, the book teaches you how to navigate complexity by following the “tracks” that lead to fulfilment and flow.
This book is one my absolute favourites and one the most gifted books, as you can see on my bookshelf.
Tapan’s Verdict: Dig Deep 🧐
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Actionable Insights
Harness the Right Level of Uncertainty
“Too much uncertainty is chaos, but too little is death”.
Professionals often avoid risks in favour of stability.
Varty challenges you to rethink: Is staying too comfortable stifling your growth? Balancing structure with exploration may unlock untapped opportunities.
Learn to Notice What Matters Most
Varty introduces “track awareness,” a concept that professionals can use to tune into what truly drives them.
In a sea of tasks and deadlines, the ability to identify what energises you—be it impactful projects or collaborations—is a superpower.
Pro Tip: Start your day by identifying one activity that aligns with your values and energy.
Understanding what truly energises and drives you is key to self-awareness and decision-making. To explore how this can transform your approach, consider the Regret Minimization Framework by Jeff Bezos.
Mentorship Beyond Job Titles
In the corporate world, it’s easy to get caught up in titles.
Varty reminds us that the best mentors are made through action, not labels: “To be guided in a moment with high stakes creates a rare bond.”
Look for leaders who guide you in real challenges, not just in meetings.
Listen to Your Body, Not Just Your Calendar
Corporate employees often live by schedules and metrics, ignoring their body’s signals.
Varty suggests: “You must learn how your body speaks.”
If a project feels draining or a meeting creates tension, ask why. Conversely, lean into what feels energising and expansive.
Forget the Checklist and Embrace First Tracks
“The journey to transformation is a series of first tracks“.
Varty’s idea of starting small is invaluable for busy professionals.
Instead of perfecting the big picture, focus on the next visible step—whether it’s learning a new skill, tackling a long-ignored challenge, or making a small career pivot.
Replace ‘Shoulds’ with Authentic Choices
Corporate life is filled with expectations: “You should aim for this role” or “You should always be available”.
Varty reframes this by asking: “How do you feel when you are fully expressing yourself?”
Align your decisions with that feeling, not external demands.
Find Flow by Losing the Trail
In corporate problem-solving, it’s tempting to wait for perfect solutions.
Varty argues that even losing your way has value: “On the trail, there is no single right way. The only mistake is not making any choice.”
Action creates momentum; waiting for the perfect plan creates stagnation.
Sometimes, the best decisions are made not by over-planning but by embracing the uncertainty of first tracks, as explained in the one-way and two-way door decision-making framework.
Redefine Success as Enoughness
For professionals caught in the metrics of promotions, salaries, and KPIs, this quote hits hard: ‘Meaning doesn’t want more; when you’re in deep touch with your wild self, you know you have enough and are enough.’
Redefine success not by doing more but by doing what aligns with your essence.
Track, Reflect, and Pivot
Varty’s wisdom encourages reflection: after each project, role, or week, ask yourself what felt right and what didn’t.
This self-audit creates awareness of your own “tracks” and helps you pivot before burnout.
Memorable Quotes
Too much uncertainty is chaos, but too little is death.
I don’t know where we are going but I know exactly how to get there.
You must train yourself to see what you are looking for.
You can’t think your way to a calling. You have to follow the inner tracks of your feelings, sensations, and instincts… You have to learn to follow a deeper, wiser, wilder place inside yourself.
