Have you ever struggled with getting clarity?
If you answered yes, don’t beat yourself up, because you are definitely not alone.
But, clarity is absolutely crucial. In my opinion, it’s the MOST IMPORTANT thing you MUST do in order to achieve your goals and create your version of an UNCOMMON Life.
I want to use this post to talk about clarity, because I want to help you get past those struggles.
Now, some will argue that taking action is the most important thing, but if you don’t know what you’re taking action on, then you have no clue if that action is going to bear any fruit.
I say it over and over again, until I’m blue in the face, the winners in life – the UNCOMMONERS – do the work everyone else is unwilling to do. Hence, they get to live lives most people only dream about.
It’s like the old saying goes, do what everyone else don’t, so that you can have what everyone won’t. Getting clarity is the plan Benjamin Franklin was referring to when he said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
If you want to learn more about the importance of clarity, keep reading.
YOU MUST GET CLARITY!
And, in order to save yourself struggle, stress, time, and resources, get clarity before you start going after the goal. Trust me, you’re gonna deal with enough struggle, stress, and sacrifice as it is. Don’t make it any worse, when you don’t have to.
Things to get clarity on
Clarity of the “What”
This one always sounds so obvious to people that they often cut their eyes at me, as if to say, “Well no duh, Justin!” But, you’d be surprised how many people can’t actually tell you what they want, or at least not with any sort of detail.
*** Heads up, I’m about to nerd out for a second***
You have a part of your brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS), that is essentially a magnet that brings into your life what you tell it to. Most people, rather than getting clarity on what they DO want, spend their time getting certain on what they DON’T want.
The reason that’s so important is that, as the old saying teaches, “where you’re attention goes, your energy flows.” Meaning that, whatever you focus on, is what you’re going to bring into your life.
All those people who are constantly obsessing about what they don’t want, rather than getting clarity on what they do, are actually creating the negative thing without knowing it!
So, it is absolutely critical to paint as crystal clear a picture of what you really desire in your life, so that your good ol’ RAS can go to work on making that a reality.
Clarity of the “Why”
If you keep up with any sort of motivational or success content, you’ve inevitably heard the question, what’s your why?
As watered down and taboo as it’s become in our culture, it’s still absolutely critical to know the answer to.
Your why is the emotional driver behind your goals. Without clarity on why you want to be, do, or have whatever you do, you’ll likely pack it in at the first sign of struggle or opposition (<< something you’re 100% guaranteed to face if you’re setting goals worth chasing).
A couple of things to keep in mind when getting clarity on your why, are that the more you have and the bigger they are, the better.
Clarity of the “How”
Now, there’s a caveat to this one that I want to explain. I am a firm believer that when it comes to setting and achieving goals, once you know the What and the Why, the how will be revealed to you through action.
It’s like driving a car. Once you know that you want to learn to drive, and why you want to, it’s time to start driving. You damn sure ain’t gonna to learn how to drive sitting freakin’ still. You gotta get out there and drive.
When it comes to any goal you have, it’s the exact same way – the how will be revealed through action.
Now, with that being said, you can still get clarity ahead of time on the actions you need to take, habits you need to develop or eliminate, and person you need to be, along with any other things you already know you need to do.
In other words, let the how focus more around you as the person seeking the goal. The technical details will be revealed in the pursuit.
Clarity of the “When”
The last thing I always tell people to get clarity on is when they want to achieve their goals by. A former co-worker used to say, “If it ain’t on paper, then it’s just vapor.” That’s some truth right there.
A huge reason so many people fail to achieve their goals is because they don’t set a deadline. Doing so creates an accountability metric, and helps you to stay on task.
So once you know what you want to be, do, or have, and your why, write down (<< notice I said “write down” – it needs to be on your calendar) when you want to achieve it by.
Putting it all together
Clarity is essential to you achieving your goal. If you haven’t had the success you want, in all areas of your life, it’s because you’re not taking the time to get clear on what you want, why you want it, how you’re going to get it, and when you’re going to get it by. Do those things, and I promise you’ll find yourself crushing your goals.
Be UNCOMMON!
If you want help getting more clarity on your goals, I’d love to have a chat with you. Click here to book a complimentary coaching call. Or, click here to download the Ultimate Clarity Guide tool I use to help my clients.
