A Mindful Guide to Intentional Living and Purposeful Leadership
Written in the thirty months Joe Baker lost both of his parents, Navigating the Now merges a proven goal-setting system with a philosophy of radical presence — one mantra, tested against real grief, real loss, and real joy: Never Better.
From the Prologue
“My mother passed away this week. With her passing, a thirty-month journey came full circle—the chapter of my life in which I lost both my parents, too young, too fast, and yet somehow, not without grace. Nine hundred days. Nine hundred mornings I had to choose how to show up. Nine hundred chances to either drift or sail.”
“If you ask me how I’m doing, there is only one honest answer: Never Better.”— Joe Baker, Navigating the Now
What's Inside
Chart Your Course gives you the destination. Never Better gives you the fortitude to reach it. Together, across three parts, they form a complete navigation system for a fully lived life.
The system. A four-part method for turning purpose into a plan.
The philosophy. Ninety-one short practices for staying resilient when the system alone isn't enough — organized under the SAIL framework.
The practice. What to do when adversity actually arrives.
The SAIL Framework
Serenity & Agility help you sail through life with a calm mind and a resilient spirit. Intentionality & Love keep you aligned with your purpose while bringing focus and compassion to everything you do.
Finding peace in the present moment, even when life gets hard.
Staying flexible and adapting with grace when conditions change.
Keeping your focus clear and directed toward what matters.
Living with an open heart, guided by passion and compassion.
Leadership Author & Speaker
Joe Baker is President and CEO of Custom Learning Designs Inc. (CLD), a life sciences learning design and immersive training platform, where he leads at the intersection of strategic vision, technology-driven growth, and human performance. His executive journey includes Chief Operating Officer of Veritext Legal Solutions and senior leadership roles at the Hertz Corporation and National Express. A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Certified John Maxwell Team leadership speaker, he holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Widener University and an MBA from Villanova University, with executive education at Wharton and AI Transformation studies at MIT Sloan.
Navigating the Now is his third book, and his most personal — written through the deaths of both his parents, thirty months apart. He serves on the Advisory Council at Seton Hall University and the Board of Trustees at Spectrum360, and lives in East Hanover, New Jersey, with his wife, Staci, and their three children.
Book Joe to speak at your next leadership meeting, thought leadership panel, or podcast — or have him present a keynote at your next conference.
Email Joe · joe@navigatingthenow.life