I was talking to a friend the other day and she was lamenting a wasted year. Although she’d put a lot of effort in she hadn’t achieved her goals. She felt stuck and frustrated wondering what had gone wrong.
A few questions later and the reason she’d struggled became clearer. It’s the same problem that prevents most people from succeeding. Her failure came down to a lack of clarity.
Now here’s the thing, you may not even be aware that a lack of clarity is what’s holding you back. After all, if you’re like my friend you have goals and you’re confident you know what you’re trying to achieve. Dig deeper, however, and you’ll find that there’s still some work to do. Because true clarity demands that you not only know what your desired end result is but you also have to figure out step by step what you need to do to get there. Too often we set a lofty goal but leave the details to take care of themselves and that’s a big mistake. Do you have a goal? Great! How specific is it? Is it clear enough that you can create the path needed to achieve it?
- Can you visualise in detail what you are trying to achieve?
- Do you know why it matters to you?
- Does it align with your core values?
- Do you know what skills you need to acquire?
- Do you have a plan for getting there?
- Are you constantly evaluating whether your actions are moving you towards it or whether you have to change tack?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, how much clarity do you really have?
‘If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.’ Stephen Covey.
Remember achieving your goals and transforming your life is possible but it won’t happen through luck alone. Don’t continue to get tripped up by this mistake, who knows where you’ll end up. Make this the year you take the time to really figure out what you want, it won’t be a waste of your time. What is your vision for the future (in detail) and is it compelling enough to pull you forward? Who is the future version of yourself you want to be and is it exciting and motivating enough to get you jumping out of bed each day? Decide today to do something about it and make finding clarity your first mission this year.
And if you’re still struggling to figure out what you want, why not check out this article and these books, they may help. Don’t ignore this first step, your success truly depends on it.
Now over to you.
Have you struggled to find clarity?
What steps will you take to figure it out?
Let me know in the comments.