Why you’re lacking clarity…and how to get it back

Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege and honor to deliver training workshops, keynote talks and coach individuals from over 60 countries and 5 continents.

While everyone has their own challenges and ambitions, what continues to strike me is the absolutely critical importance of CLARITY.

Clarity is at the heart of progress and achievement.

When you have clarity, you (for the most part) can confidently march forward towards the result you’re after. It doesn’t mean it’s easy or effortless but it does mean that there is a certain force of energy, focus, conviction, or commitment directing your every step.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, it can be painfully obvious when you lack clarity or feel lost.

You stop, get stuck, and barely make any progress.

But the tougher, more challenging, and the more dangerous place is somewhere in the middle.

You THINK you are clear, you ARE putting in the effort but the results are underwhelming-to-non-existent.

It’s kind of like counterfeit money – it looks real, it feels real but using it too much can get you in serious trouble.

“Counterfeit” clarity applies equally to the small things – for example, prioritizing your daily to-do list – as well as the big things such as the direction of your career, life, and relationships.

You may start out ok but before long your motivation drops, momentum slows and more and more problems, hurdles, delays or distractions get in the way.

Can you relate to any of these?

• Not finishing what you’ve started
• Constantly putting the important work on the back burner, telling yourself “Tomorrow will be better to get started on that”
• Getting caught in analysis paralysis, overthinking, and not taking meaningful action
• Creating “fuzzy goals” that trick you into thinking you know what you want
• Overwhelmed at what needs to get done
• Indecisive with little things and procrastinating on the big things

A lack of clarity isn’t the result of these behaviors, it’s the CAUSE.

When you lack clarity you: 

• waste time trying to solve the wrong problem (the one you THINK is holding you back vs. what’s really blocking your turnaround)
• burn energy on activities and distractions that have nothing to do with your goals and dreams
• are busy all the time but rarely feel satisfied
• or…you’re so bored and numb from the treadmill of your life that you’ve forgotten what is possible for you

The worst part about all that?

You get so trapped in the endless cycle of same-old, same-old that you can’t see your way out.

You resign yourself to settle for less than you’ve always wanted.

If you can relate to any of this, you MUST refuse to settle. You MUST get resourceful and get an outside perspective. You MUST find a way to get real clarity on what’s holding you back and how to move forward.

And if you’re really stuck on HOW to get clear, you owe it to yourself to make ‘getting clear(er)’ your top priority.