The Power of Seeking Clarity
I’d say focus has historically been a challenge for me. I didn’t know that ADD came in lots of shapes and forms until I was in my 30s and realized that the way that I got work done (or didn’t), had a name and that there were lots of things I could do about it.
As we all know, this has become a cultural problem – we have so many distractions that our world breeds ADD whether this is something you naturally struggle with or not.
And when I look at our clients and our communities and I hear the running narratives, many leaders are wrestling with some version of the following question: how do I know what to focus on that’s going to deliver the most impact?
This is a huge question because the answer has so many implications. We have an inbox that refreshes throughout the day, full of other people’s agendas. We have a running to do list that develops a life of its own. Before we know it, we’ve forgotten why we’re working on the tasks in front of us and what those tasks will ultimately deliver for us or for our organizations. We’ve even forgotten why we care.
We’ve lost clarity.
Brendon Bruchard, the world’s top high performance coach, found that one of the most important habits of high performers is that they are always seeking clarity. High performers are introspective and care about developing self awareness. They ask questions about who they are and how they can most effectively work. They seek clarity about their skills. High performers are simply seekers – in every area of their life. AND, consequently, they have focus.
Research tells us that only 1% of adults operate from imagination. 1%. Let that sink in… The rest of us work from history and memory. It’s no wonder that we have trouble creating visions that don’t exist, yet, when we’ve been graded most of our lives on simply how well we play back information delivered to us.
What is this costing us? In our communities, it’s seeing brilliant leaders incredibly adept at their jobs, yet struggling to think outside the box of what they already know. Struggling with questions only they can know about themselves and their lives and feeling totally disempowered because of it. They’re losing themselves. How do they interrupt the cycle?
It starts with curiosity.
To really know what to focus on, we need to zoom out on ourselves. We are more clear when we can see the big picture. Then, we ask questions. Clarity comes when we are curious and asking questions. Here’s a start:
- -What do I say matters to me?
- -What do I say I want to be known for?
- -What skill do I need to develop so I can deliver more, be better, and hone my craft?
- -What’s the difference that I say I want to make in the world?
I keep asking these questions because no one else has the answers but me, and I need to know. YOU need to know!
Once we have the answers to the big questions, we can ask ourselves, “what am I doing about that?” Those very answers can lead us to what needs our focus.
It’s no mistake that our group and 1-1 engagements always start here – helping you navigate what it looks like to establish more vision. When you have clarity, you have a lot more drive to focus on what’s important because you know where you are going.
We love this subject and we love to see what happens when our community gets clear. So here’s to more clarity and focus in 2023 as you navigate your own big questions! We’d love to hear what you find.
If we can be a part of this journey with you, book a call!