Bring clarity to your intentions and outcomes with these helpful steps.
January 9th
By Maryann Baldwin, The Works Business Coach and SBDC Counselor
Why is it so challenging to get clear on what we want and how to get it? Clarity is defined as "the state of having a full, detailed, and orderly mental grasp of something," according to Merriam Webster's Dictionary. Sounds daunting, especially that "orderly" part! Life can be a barrage of demands and distractions, so it can be difficult to feel orderly about anything sometimes.
What are some ways we can make time and space to foster clarity about our desires and plans and how we attain them?
All month, we're sharing "Clarity Prompts" on our social media pages on Facebook (LansingWorks) and Instagram (TheWorksCoworking). Follow along and keep one with you each day it's posted to see how it might work for you.
In the meantime, here are some other thoughts on how to seek clarity in your vision and intentions:
Walking outside (or any kind of walking, really) one of this author's favorites! This on clarity and walking from Dr. Todd Kashdan, a leading expert on the psychology of well-being, curiosity, mental flexibility, and social relationships: "Nearly every day I send texts to self-selected friends with one word, “Stroll?” I stroll outside with friends on 3-5 mile loops to trade questions, stories, and share what we’re grappling with or triumphing at. ...fresh air, camaraderie, and a smooth walking pace. It’s incredible how the simple act of moving unlocks creative thinking. Problems untangle themselves. New perspectives emerge." Kashdan calls this a "well-being conglomerate," a good health habit with social relationship enhancements and mental breakthroughs!
Obviously, outdoor walks in the midwest winter climate aren't always ideal, but maybe you can walk side by side on treadmills at the gym? Get creative about the activity and venue and see what works for you!
Changing your environment: This is one of the reasons The Works Coworking was created. Getting out of your everyday environment can be an eyeopening experience. Simply changing your surroundings and atmosphere provides the opportunity to see things in a different light and with a fresh perspective. This doesn't have to be an everyday thing, but a few times a month, dropping into The Works, or any new, quiet, uncluttered space can take you out of a rut and help you think about a challenge or project in new ways. Give it a try - you may be surprised by how much you can tackle in a fresh environment!
Posing the question "What did I learn today?" can provide clarity as well. Sometimes it's not obvious that you learned something new in a given day, so taking this one step further and asking "what can I learn from an experience I had today?" is another way to help you benefit from reflections and gaining clarity on what works for you, and perhaps what could use some modification. Maybe it's a decision you made quickly and out of hand that you might have considered differently if you had slowed down for a moment. Or perhaps it's the way you responded to someone that could have completely changed the outcome of a conversation or a meeting. Every day there's something that you could have done or considered differently. Take a moment each day to see if a bit more thought might have given you more clarity in the moment, or going forward.
These are just a few ideas on how to bring more clarity into your intentions, actions and outcomes. Try one or two of them out and see if something about your vision and plans clicks into place that eluded you until now!
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