“Clarity and simplicity are the antidotes to complexity and uncertainty.” – General George Casey
When one speaks of habits, rarely is clarity mentioned. However, being clear about what you want in life is a habit that needs to be practiced often. If you don’t know where you want to go, it doesn’t really matter where you end up, does it?
Millions of people go about their lives wanting a hundred and one things and never really attaining their wishes because they lack clarity. If your life seems blurry, you need to adjust your focus.
- What do you really want?
Spend an hour or two just sitting in silence and writing down what you want in your life. Write it all down without censoring yourself. Believe that anything is possible and write without restraint.
Once you’re done, ask yourself what are the items on that list that you’d be fine with even if you don’t attain them. Delete all those items.
Now you’ll be left with a shorter list. Ask yourself which are the goals you truly want. Pick 1 or 2 goals. These are the ones you’ll focus on for the next 6 to 12 months.
It could be achieving your dream body or starting your own business. Whatever the goal may be, at least now you have clarity and can focus all your efforts on making these dreams come true.
- What happens when you lack clarity?
When you’re unsure of what you want, or you’re led astray by looking at other people’s lives or envying the glamorous lifestyle photos of people on Instagram, you’ll be dissatisfied with your own lot in life.
This can wreak havoc on your moods, your motivation and your peace of mind. It doesn’t matter what others are doing or having. What matters is achieving what you want… and what you want should be what you TRULY want.
Your goals should not be about keeping up with the Joneses or putting on a show for others. Clarity is about knowing what desires make your heart sing with joy… and going all out to achieve them.
You may wish to be a dancer or a writer… instead of parading on the beach and taking photos with cocktails just for a few thousand likes on social media. You may wish to compete in a CrossFit challenge rather than do yoga like some celebrity.
Follow your own path. That’s clarity.
Once you identify your goals and eliminate the fluff and distractions, you’ll have laser-like focus and will have the space and time to devote your finite energy to accomplishing what matters to you.
It’s easier to achieve one or two goals with focus than to scatter your efforts over a multitude of desires and never see fruition with any. Another point to note is that once you know what you want, you’ll need to take massive action to achieve your goals.
Knowing what you want is the first step… but ultimately, action will lead to more clarity and self-understanding.
So, be clear about what you want and draw up plans on how you will achieve your goals. Then execute on them and go about your daily life with purpose, knowing that your actions and intentions should all be in alignment to what you truly want… and then it’s just a matter of time till you achieve what you truly desire.