The world offers hundreds of options. You can be anything that you want to be, go anywhere, acquire any kind of experience, and choose any career, even later in life. But this wealth of choices, unprecedented in human history, also means that we need to have laser-sharp focus and clarity in terms of our priorities, choices, and relationships.
Without clarity, we might become easily swayed to make decisions that don’t help us, get overwhelmed by options, or procrastinate making a choice because we don’t know what we actually want and need. It helps us manage our attention and time, both very finite resources, becoming productive and moving towards meaningful goals.
Which areas most require clarity? The ones that determine our well-being and our long-term goals.
What we want in life
The first and perhaps most important question that we need to clarify is what we want in life. Understanding our values, long-term goals, and what we hope to achieve clearly will help us make the best decisions. If we have no idea, we just float along until one day we realize that we are not where we want to be.
What our mission is
The second thing we need to establish clearly is the mark we want to leave in the world. This concerns our mission: what do we want to accomplish? What do we want to change? What will our legacy be? Having clarity on what we hope to leave behind us can be a powerful tool for making choices and directing our energy accordingly, whether it goes to saving the environment or feeding the hungry.
What our passion is
The next thing we need to have clarity on is what we love, what things bring the most joy to our life, and what we can do for a long time without getting tired. Ideally, our passion, mission, and goals will all be aligned, but if not, we still need to have a good understanding of our passion for making it part of our daily life.
What is our financial plan
Having considered our goals and ambitions, we also need to have clarity regarding some practical aspects of our life. Finances are especially important, because we often let them slip by the wayside. We need to understand the money we have and how we intend to use it for the next few years, preparing for big purchases, and making a solid financial plan.
Where our relationships are headed
We need to see clearly what we want and need from our relationships, and whether we are satisfied with the direction, it is headed. Understanding whether we want our current relationships to stay as they are, become more serious, change, or be over is a huge part of living a good life.
So, how do we get this clarity? What are the strategies for reaching a new understanding? We can only gain it if we take time to reflect and become more mindful of what’s going on.
Take 10 minutes before you sleep
Our lives are often hectic and filled with informational clutter, constant noise, and distraction. Before you go to bed, the time tends to be much more serene and provides optimal space to think about things. What do you want? Do you feel satisfied? What are your ideas for tomorrow? Reflect on these questions instead of going on social media.
Schedule daily alone time
Taking a short walk alone or getting up early to have some space is another right way of gaining clarity. It helps you be alone with your thoughts. Just make sure not to fill this time with distractions! Turn off your phone if you can.
Talk to others
Talking to others can be a good way of clearing your thoughts and also getting input. You might receive some good advice. You might also receive some bad advice that has the advantage of showing us exactly what we don’t want.
Pay attention to what you feel
One of the best ways to gain clarity is to recognize what makes you feel good and bad. What makes you angry? What brings you joy? By being more mindful and seeing our feelings with no judgment, we can clarify what is working for us and what needs to go.
Write things down
It’s easier to get your mind in order by writing things down. Putting them on paper allows you to get more perspective and better understand what’s going on inside your head. A regular journaling habit can give you a lot of clarity.
