One often hears how important it is to have clarity, but what does this mean? I’ll give you a simple definition. To have clarity means to be clear, free from obstruction, to open, unclog, unstop, or unblock. How this applies to your life is that in order to live your passion or fulfill your heart’s desire, you must know exactly what it is you want. You must have clarity in your thoughts and feelings, and be able to think clearly (and stay focused).
In the definition of clarity above, I mentioned that it is to be “unblocked” or “free from obstruction”. What can cause us to become blocked or obstructed so that we no longer have this clear vision?
Here are two common roadblocks to clarity:
1) Making judgments can create blockage and/or taint the way you see things. The “should or shouldn’t, right or wrong, good or bad” sort of thing may affect your clarity. Of course, I’m not suggesting that you should never make judgments of any kind because you will. Just be sure to examine the source of the judgment. Many are derived from your upbringing, family, culture, or societal programming and may not be rooted in reality (or your own highest truth). Just look closely at the judgment, see where it comes from, and if it is important enough to hold on to.
2) Allowing distractions to divert your focus. Distractions will compete for your attention from time to time, but the key is to recognize when one has shown up and is trying to draw your attention away. A distraction is anything that takes your time and energy (focus) away from your goal (Note: I never consider a loved one, or a person in need, a distraction).
So many people go through their lives knowing what they do not want, but are unclear as to what it is they do want. You have been given the creative power of choice through which you can direct your life toward any destination you wish. Clarity is the vehicle that takes you there.
The truth is that you have an incredible amount of potential. When your eyes begin to open to this fact you may become overwhelmed by the staggering amount of possibilities available to you. It’s easy to run down one path, get distracted by another, and run down it for a while only to repeat the process many times over. There’s nothing really wrong with this as it is simply you being amazed with child-like wonder at all the things you could do, but if you want to make your specific dream a reality you will need to focus your attention with laser-like precision. This is why you hear so much about clarity.
Having a clear and precise vision of what it is you want will increase your confidence and keep you motivated. Clarity is the key that will open the door to the reality you wish to create.
Wherever you are at this moment, look around you at all the things that were man-made and understand that each one began as an idea in someone’s mind. In fact, everything in your life right now began as an idea in your mind or in the mind of someone else.
A solid work ethic is often believed to be the path to achieving a goal. It is important, but working hard is not enough. You have to know exactly what it is you are working toward. Have you ever been baffled by friends or colleagues who are not any more intelligent than you, and certainly do not work any harder, yet they experience amazing results? Meanwhile, you work yourself to exhaustion only to have mediocre results. How does this happen?
Clarity.
Clarity will help a person move to the front of the line and in front of others who may be more skilled (or work harder) simply because that person knows exactly what they want. When you become clear and specific about your goal, your ability to achieve that goal will increase significantly.
The reason why clarity is so powerful and important is because when you become clear about what you want you will think about it most all of the time. If you’re thinking about it all of the time then that means you’re focused on it, and your focus is the foundation of your destiny.
There are several things you can do to help you gain clarity, but a proven technique is to write out your plan of action. Only a small percentage of adults have written goals. It’s no accident that these very same people are those who experience amazing results. The moment you write out your plan of action you’re on your way to join them and experience your own incredible results.
Here are a few things to include in your Plan of Action:
* The exact thing you desire. Example: It’s not enough to say “I want to write.” Be laser focused and precise on what you want to write. “I want to write an action novel about a man who, after leaving the military, forms his own personal security company and falls in love with a woman CEO he has been hired to protect.” Be specific.
* Decide what you will do in order to obtain your specific desire. Using the example above you might say “I will study and learn how to structure a story, build interesting characters and research facts so that my story is believable.” You will have to put in the work because there is no such thing as something for nothing.
* Create a set of deadlines for the action steps you will be taking. For example, if your goal is to be 30lbs lighter six months from now then set deadlines for 5lbs, 10lbs, 15lbs and so on. You might word it like this: “By March 1st I will be 5lbs lighter. By May 1st I will be 10lbs lighter.” By achieving and celebrating each milestone along the way, you will stay motivated and excited.
* As you write out your plan be sure to word things positively instead of negatively. You’ll notice in the example above I didn’t say “I don’t want to be overweight.” or “I have to lose 10lbs.” It matters how you talk to yourself and if you speak to yourself in negative terms you’ll generate negative feelings, so state things in the positive. State what you want, not what you don’t want.
* Formulate a plan to achieve your goal and begin that plan immediately. Remember, procrastination is a dream killer. Action is a fear killer.
Review your action plan often, note what is working and what is not. Make adjustments, and keep moving forward. This will help you maintain your focus.
Once you have clarity, you will notice things flow more smoothly, and you’ll notice opportunities where before you only saw obstacles.