JC's Corner

Recently, I was talking with a client about what might be in store for her in the coming year.  As she reflected on highlights of 2021 and her dreams for 2022, she was able to gain clarity as a result of our conversation about WHAT she wants to do, WHY she wants to do it, and HOW she might get there.  

I affectionately refer to the process below as my Recipe for Clarity. The good news is that it is a multi-functional tool which can be applied to any area of your life: your business; your job; your community; or your personal life. 

Recipe for Clarity: 

1. The first step is to ask yourself and identify “What’s important to me?” 
   I suggest choosing just one life area to focus on. You can apply the process to one or all of the areas, but it’s better to follow the process from start to finish with only one area in mind.

2. Start with a clean sheet of paper and an open mind. 
   The goal is to let your thoughts flow freely, getting them out of your head and onto paper.  A word of caution: do not set unnecessary boundaries or get caught up in too much thinking. If you are familiar with the mind map technique, this is a great time to use it. 

3. Look for themes.
   Are there thoughts or ideas that seem to go together? If so, flag the themes, highlight and/or circle those that seem similar. 

4. Identify three themes/areas that you want to focus on. 
   Research suggests that we can’t do more than three things well at any one time, and that each item can be considered either a distraction or an opportunity. So, take your time when choosing. These three areas will become the foundation of your plan. In other words, where do you want to invest your time, energy and resources to get the results that you desire?

5. Pay attention to what’s happening with your energy.  Are there some themes that leave you feeling flat? Others that seem to get your heart racing? Do you find yourself shifting into problem solving?  If so, that might be an area that you want to take a closer look at. 

6. Think about WHY you placed these three items on the list. 
   What would focusing on each of these do for you, for your business, for your career?  No need to rush.  Take whatever time you need.  This is a time when it makes sense to go slow so you can go fast.  The more clarity you have about the WHAT, the easier it will be to surface the WHY, and prepare your plan outlining the HOW. 

Now that you have named what’s really important to you, gotten your ideas out of your head and onto paper, identified common themes, and have an understanding of how these things can positively impact your business, your career, your personal life; you are well on your way to making them a reality.

Ines Meneses recently hosted a webinar entitled, “Soul-Centered Women Leaders:  Creating Consciously.” In this session, she shared her four steps to Success which are: Clarity; Commitment; Consistency; and Celebration.   

Using my Recipe for Clarity you have completed step one.  Your next step will be to brainstorm the HOW; and then as Ines suggests, to commit to doing what it takes to move the needle in the right direction. 

Every creation once started as an idea. The active process of thinking, linking ideas and gaining clarity are key factors in creating. A good cook knows that it can take several steps to create a masterpiece.  I believe the first step in creating the foundation for the rest of the ingredients to latch on to is Clarity. Before another day passes, do yourself a favor.  Set aside time to Gain Clarity – the first step toward the ensuring the success you want and deserve.  

We are all creators of our own destiny.  I’d love to hear your experience with my Recipe for Clarity and what your next steps are!

 

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