Develop the Clarity You Need: 3 Actions You Can Take

Can you remember a time when you were struggling to figure out which way to go in life or how to handle a sticky situation? Or when you were deciding between staying at your current not-so-fulfilling job where you knew what to expect versus accepting a position at a new company that seemed exciting but would be filled with a lot of unknowns?

How did you approach making those decisions? What information did you use to guide you? How did everything turn out?

Perhaps you could use more clarity right now. We have all been experiencing a lot of adjustments and changes over the recent past. For many, this has led to the need to find a new job (or a new career altogether!), reconsidering relationships and activities, and reevaluating habits around exercise, consumption of food and beverage, and even purchases.

For many, this has become a time of realization that the status quo no longer serves our highest self. And a time of reevaluation of all the pieces that we have fit together to create what our life has become today.

But…

How do we take that next right step forward in the journey? How do we know what to keep and what to move on from, or what direction we should even go?

The answer: DEVELOP CLARITY.

I’m not just talking about clarity around deciding between A and B. I’m talking about developing deep clarity – an internal knowing – about whether or not A or B should even be options to begin with, or if they are really just shoulds in opportunity’s clothing. Because, let’s face it, if that is the case then you might as well make the decision based on a game of rock-paper-scissors rather than spending the time tormenting yourself by analyzing the options, right?

The clarity I am referring to is your own, unique personal truth sans opinions and pressure from others. This is the clarity that will guide you on your own journey. And this usually requires unwinding from every should and outer expectation we’ve learned and experienced throughout our lives, as well as the habits that we have developed along the way.

Let’s be honest. Much of what we create in our lives includes layers upon layers of outside influences and all of the shoulds about what we should do for a career, when we should get married, how many children we should have, and many more. And let’s not forget all of the influences that come from the constant barrage of marketing and social media. 

To be able to gain clarity around our own individual truths gives you a compass for your true North. When you know who you are and what you want, making decisions is easier because you only have to answer one question: does this align with what I want and who I am?

So HOW do you develop clarity? 

That is the million dollar question. 

Here are 3 strategies to help you DEVELOP CLARITY:

Ask Yourself Questions

When you’re searching for clarity, make sure you’re looking at ALL areas of your life - your relationships, your career and future trajectory, your relationships with family, the state of your finances, how you feel about yourself. Ask yourself:

• What do I desire in each of these areas?
• What will bring me deep levels of joy and fulfillment?
• What do I need to feel a sense of satisfaction and pride about my life?
• What is my purpose, my guiding force?
• What’s working now? What isn’t?
• What would I like to change or bring into my life?
• What do you need to release to level up?
• How is this area impacting other areas?

These are all really big, important questions. It isn’t necessary to have them answered down to every gritty detail, but it is crucial that you do find some level of clarity so that you understand how to move forward in your journey.

Create Space & Reflect

This is a super important step. We evolve over time as we have new experiences, outgrow things, and develop new interests. As I mentioned earlier, we are also influenced every day from every direction. With all of this in mind, the level of clarity we have is essentially a constantly moving target.

For that reason, it’s crucial that you take time to check in and revisit questions like those above regularly and frequently. You must create space in your mind to reflect on how you are feeling and what your truths are. Taking time to unplug from everything - social media, family, friends, work, projects - on a regular basis so you can really unwind from the influences, reconnect with what it is that YOU truly want, and recalibrate and move forward accordingly.

Would you read a book in a room full of people talking to you, especially all at the same time? Nope! Instead, you would ask them to kindly follow up with you at another time, or you would go somewhere quiet to continue reading so you’re able to focus on the book. Honor yourself in that same way here.

Experiment & Learn

Get out there and try new things! I’ve heard far too many people express an interest in doing something new or pursuing a goal, but then not taking action because they’ve created stories about “what if it’s a waste of time/money?” or “what if It doesn’t go well or I don’t like it?” or “I’m probably just too old to do it now.”

I’ve even heard some say they would feel like they failed if they took action and then decided later not to continue, as if trying  something new needs to be a life-long commitment. Using another reading example, this would be similar to feeling like you have to finish reading a book simply because you started it. If you realize that it’s not for you, then move on with the knowledge that it wasn’t for you and find another book to read..

Here’s the deal, though: how do you know if something is right for you - or not - if you never try it? And how many things do you have/do in your life that you were also uncertain about before you tried it, especially anything you may have been hesitant about? Taking action is due diligence. It’s an opportunity to gather information about the situation, so that you can make the right decision for you. I think this is something that most of us could use more of in life.

Not only are you learning about whether or not this is something you want to continue to explore, but it’s also an opportunity to straight-up learn, meet people, have something interesting to talk about, and so much more!

And, hey. If you feel like you are too old for that thing you’re genuinely interested in, let me be the one to tell you that you’re not. Consider this your call-to-action. Use this as your motivation and sense of urgency to take action now. You deserve to pursue your interests - no matter what!

One of the best ways to develop more clarity is to talk through everything. I’m deeply passionate about helping people uncover their truth. And one of my specialties is helping you discover your answers to these questions. So when you’re ready for a deeper level of clarity in your life, schedule a strategy call right here.

Cheers!