Have you ever known a woman who seems rooted in who she is and what she wants to do? Have you ever envied another person’s direction and ability to make decisions? I have. I’m sure you have, too.
We all have those struggles, especially when it comes to deciding on a new direction or action that will move us closer to what we hope is the right thing. But I also firmly believe that we can all work through those muddied waters and get clear on what we want.
Not just in business, but in life, too. It’s possible to find clarity and confidence, and to take action that gets you closer to what you want. But I can already hear you thinking… “What do I want?? How do I get clear on that?”
This is part of what I do as a visibility and greatness coach: I help you figure out what your story is, where you want to go, and how you can share your story and purpose to help you get there. But I also know that other amazing people have great resources and steps to help us find clarity, so I recently talked to a clarity coach.
Clarity coaching for life and business
I virtually sat down to chat with Keltie Maguire about what clarity really is, what it’s not, and how we can find it. As a clarity coach, this is Keltie’s bread-and-butter. She knows her stuff. She’s also done the work herself, which I think is a powerful part of being a coach.
A while back, Keltie owned a handmade jewelry business. After a while, she began to feel disconnected from that business, and just didn’t really know what she wanted to do next. So she really sat with that, and worked through what wasn’t working. She tapped into what she wanted, and what she felt was next for her. And then came the important part: she actually took actions to move her closer to what she knew she wanted.
Notice how I said knew what she wanted? Not had an idea or thought maybe this was something she might like. She knew. So… how do YOU know? How do YOU get clear on what’s next, what matters, and what action you should take? Keltie shared her 3 steps to clarity with me, and I’m gonna share them with you now!
3 steps to finding clarity
Before I break down Keltie’s steps, I’d like to make it clear that 3 steps sounds pretty simple Like 1, 2, 3, and boom. Suddenly you’re clear on everything. I will say that, while these steps are clear and easy to understand, they take time. This isn’t something you can do in the next 15 minutes and move on. So read the steps below, but then I’d highly recommend committing some time to walking through these steps, possibly across a few days or even a week. I recently talked about making space to listen, trust, and do, and the schedule I use for that might be helpful to you here.
Alright, now let’s dig into Keltie’s 3 steps to finding clarity:
1) Self-Reflect: get clear on where you are right now. What is energizing me? What do I dread doing? Where is my focus most days?
This is, in my opinion, the most important step. Why? Because we need to pay attention to what we’re paying attention to. So often, we go through our days just reacting to things without really seeing how we’re reacting to things. Are you doing that client project with a low-simmering rage? Or did 4 hours fly by while you worked to your heart’s content on that new project? Where attention goes, energy flows. Where is your energy flowing?
2) Experiment: talk to people. Ask questions. Talk about what’s on your mind. Vet your ideas and thoughts with people who understand.
As a visionary, this step is probably where I spend the most time. I have to talk about my ideas, work through them, find the threads, and figure out where all the pieces fit before I start executing. You might be more of an integrator/execution type of person, so you might spend less time here. But don’t skip it! Talk to people. Make sure that the places where your energy is flowing right now make sense for your audience, your family, yourself.
3) Commit: Make the steps to bring that idea to life, lady!
This phase can be a short window of time, or it could take years. If you’ve gotten clear on a new offer or service, you might be able to bring that new thing to life in a few days or a couple weeks. If it’s a massive change to your lifestyle or your business model, it’s OK if it’s not done overnight. Once an idea finally solidifies, though, it’s important to map out what needs to get done so you can make it happen. Whether you create a plan for your launch, you schedule in certain times to work on that project, or you need to cancel other things to make space, get clear on what you need to do now, tomorrow, and the foreseeable future.
Clarity doesn’t come overnight
A final note: as you start to realize that you need some time to self-reflect, you might be feeling burnt out. You might feel apathetic, or worried that you’ll never find what lights you up or that feels good. That’s burnout talking, and it can get better when you commit to really digging into your self-reflection. I also know that you can go from burnout to breakthrough, and come out stronger on the other side. When you’re reaching that point of “This isn’t working, I can’t do this anymore,” take that as a sign. A sign that your clarity is calling, and it’s time to reach for the phone.
For more insights on how to feel more rooted in yourself, your business, and your brand, make sure you’re subscribing to the Brave New You podcast!
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