Clarity is one of my favourite words. You might have been able to guess that, because my business is called Clear Day. For me, there is nothing better than a bright blue sky and a clear view – both in reality and metaphorically. When my head feels clear and I can see the path in front of me, it is such a calming feeling. I am always striving for clarity – in my professional life, in my home life and in my mental health.
Yet I can also understand how the concept of clarity can be frightening. Does the word make you feel calm, or does it make you feel anxious? If somebody said to you “we are going to get really clear on your goals and where you are headed” would that feel exciting…or terrifying?
The problem is that we imagine that once we have clarity, we have to take action. “I know exactly what I want in life” surely means that you are now working day and night to achieve it? “I can see what the problem is now” must mean that immediately you are going to be working to solve it? So if you are overwhelmed, exhausted, having a challenging time or feeling unsupported, the idea of clarity – because surely it means action – can feel like another burden.
This is why some people seem to resist gaining a clear understanding. They have circular conversations, restating the problem and their fears, without moving to the next step of considering solutions, because they are not ready for that kind of clarity. They are not ready to act so their subconscious resists anything that looks like getting clear on the next steps or the way forward.
How would it feel if we repositioned clarity as a goal in itself?
How would it feel if you could see exactly what the blockages are to your progress, exactly what the next steps are to clearing your day, exactly what action you need to take to reach your goals…and then you just stopped there? Sitting calmly with the knowledge, with a potential plan, with a clear view…and no need to immediately act.
When we come across a beautiful view in real life, do we feel the need to act? We might take a photograph, but on the whole our instinct is to drink it in. To stop and stare and enjoy the world laid out before us, taking in the beauty and treasuring the feeling that gives us.
Getting clarity on our lives is no different. If we take the time to consider the issues, explore potential solutions, think about our fears and why we have them, break down our goals into manageable steps, that gives us a beautiful clear view of the next part of our journey. There is absolutely no need to spring into action. In fact, to do so would be a missed opportunity to sit calmly with our new, clear view and enjoy it. Drink it in. Look at it from every angle. Think about how wonderful it will be to eventually step into it when we are ready. Just because we have a plan does not mean we have to make a start on it the very next moment. You could have a clear business or life plan mapped out and not step into it for months. That is entirely your choice. Action does not have to follow clarity.
With my coaching clients I always start with calm, because it is so much easier to make progress when we are calm. Clarity is the next step. There is no pressure from me to act on anything that my clients become clear about. Clarity is an achievement in and of itself. Celebrate it. Enjoy it. Take some time to sit down with a coffee and a deep breath and simply enjoy the view.
Helen Calvert, February 2020