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Lessons - You Don't Have a Motivation Problem (You Have a Clarity Problem) · Success Story with Scott Clary

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Today, you're going to understand why you don't have a motivation problem, you have a
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clarity problem.
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I want you to picture this for a second, it's 6am, just woke up, you're staring at your
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phone, you're scrolling through an endless feed of motivational quotes and posts and you
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got Gary Ve shouting in one ear and Tony Robbins whispering affirmations in the other and your
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vision board looks so packed with dreams and goals that it looks like a collage made
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by some caffeinated kindergartener and yet here you are still in bed feeling about as
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motivated as a sloth on vacation.
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Does it sound familiar?
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If you're nodding your head, congratulations, you've just stumbled upon a truth that most
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of the quote unquote bullshit success gurus don't want you to know.
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You don't have a motivation problem, I don't care what you're trying to build, I don't
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care what career you're pursuing, it's not a motivation problem, you have a clarity problem.
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All that relentless pursuit of motivation would be the very thing that's holding you back.
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Now before you shut this podcast down, you x out of this YouTube video and you go back
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to your morning ritual of motivational YouTube videos, I need you to hear me out for a second
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because I'm all about challenging what we believe to be true.
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I want to challenge everything you think about drive, about ambition, about motivation,
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about success.
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I really have spent a lot of time trying to understand this and trying to understand why
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I hate motivation so much and it's taken me a couple years to really get why the idea
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of motivation bugs me so much but I think I've really, really analyzed and this concept
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of clarity over motivation is the best way I can articulate what has allowed me to be successful
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versus somebody who is just quote unquote motivated.
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So I want to talk about a couple of different things, first we're going to talk about why
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your brain treats motivation like a sugar rush and why that's terrible for long term success.
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We're going to talk about the real reason successful people seem to have endless energy
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and it's not about green juice or meditation or even caffeine.
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It's we're going to talk about how clarity can make decision making as easy as breathing,
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completely second nature.
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I want to talk about why most advice about finding your passion is dead wrong and I want
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to talk about the counter intuitive way that constraints can actually skyrocket your productivity
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and the all these topics are going to make sense and they're all going to tie together but I want
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you to buckle up because we're going to dive deep into the you know the murky waters of human
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psychology of neuroscience and really the billion dollar motivation industry which I really,
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really don't like so if you're ready to gain some clarity first we have to tackle the motivation
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myth so let's talk about the motivation industry for a second you know the one that has basically
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convinced you that if you just find the right morning routine or you listen to the perfect pump
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up playlist or you recite some bullshit magic affirmation you're suddenly transformed into this
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productivity powerhouse here's the uncomfortable truth most of what you've been told about motivation
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is complete BS what do I mean by that well let's go through it vision boards they're about as
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effective at achieving your goals as a dartboard with dollar signs on it motivational speakers
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they are selling you emotional cocaine a quick high that leaves you crashing harder than before
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and if you don't believe me let's break it down so let's talk about vision boards remember
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vision boards kind of came from if you remember this the secret it was a cultural phenomenon
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that told us that we could manifest our dreams by cutting out pictures from magazines yeah
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and it turns out visualization can actually decrease your likelihood of achieving your goals
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when you visualize success not actually do the thing but when you visualize success
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your brain gets tricked into thinking that you've already achieved it you the dopamine hit
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and absolutely zero actual progress the other thing I mentioned motivational speakers so there's
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a trap here so there's these charismatic individuals and they are the man and it's not their fault
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they're playing into a game but they're the masters of making you feel invincible for about 24
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hours and then reality hits and then you're left wondering why you still can't get off the
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couch it's because motivation isn't something you can absorb through osmosis at a conference it's not
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a transferable commodity and the last thing I mentioned was to find your passion or follow your
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passion and I think that following your passion it's one of the most dangerous pieces of advice
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of the motivational industrial complex why because passion isn't something you find it's something
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you develop you can't find passion just waiting around like you're going to be struck by this
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lightning bolt of passion that's going to help you create this business or build your dream life
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if you wait for passion this is a surefire a hundred percent full proof way to not change your
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circumstances to remain completely paralyzed now here's a kicker chasing motivation using vision
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boards trying to manifest passion it's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands the harder you
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grasp and you try and hold on to it the more it's going to slip through your fingers I want you
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to think about it when was the last time you felt truly motivated to do your taxes or to clean the
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bathroom or to have a difficult conversation with your boss motivation in the way that most people
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think about it is like this fair weather friend it shows up when the task is easy or when the task
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is fun and it disappears really quickly when things get tough but here's where it gets interesting
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what if I told you that the most successful people in the world don't rely on motivation at all
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what if I told you that their secret weapon was something entirely different this is where clarity
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comes in but before we dive into that I just have to ask you something if you knew with absolute
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certainty that taking a specific action right now would guarantee your biggest goal would you
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feel quote unquote motivated to do it think about that for a second and we're going to come
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back to it I want to flip the script on everything you thought you knew about achievement let's talk
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about clarity clarity is the unsung hero of success of achievement of reaching our goals that is
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hiding in plain sight now remember that question I just asked you about knowing with certainty
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that a specific action would guarantee your biggest goal that's not motivation that my friend
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is clarity and it's the secret sauce that separates the achievers from the dreamers but let's get
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one thing straight when I say clarity I don't mean some vague notion of knowing what you want I'm
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talking about something far more potent and precise clarity is ruthless prioritization on steroids
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it's the laser focused understanding of exactly what you want why you want it what you're
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willing to sacrifice to get it the specific actions required to make it happen when you have that
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level of clarity motivation becomes as irrelevant as like a flashlight in the middle of the day
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here's why clarity acts as a natural filter for your life it automatically sifts through the noise
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through the distractions the shiny objects that constantly vie for your attention when your crystal
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clear on your priorities saying no becomes reflexive you don't need willpower to resist temptations
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because they simply don't register as options think of it this way have you ever been so engrossed
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in a task that you forgot to eat you call it flow state whatever you want that's clarity in action
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you didn't need to feel quote unquote motivated to keep working the clarity of your focus on the
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thing that you wanted to accomplish made the action automatic now let's address the elephant in the
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room if clarity is so powerful why isn't everyone walking around with this laser focus determination
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it's very simple clarity is very uncomfortable requires making decisions very very hard decisions
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it means closing doors it means burning bridges it means eliminating options in a world that
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celebrates you know keeping your options open true clarity kind of feels like you're rebelling
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against that idea this is why it's so important that discomfort is precisely what makes clarity
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so powerful there's a book the road less stupid by Keith Cunningham he introduces a concept
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called thinking time and it's dedicated time for asking yourself hard uncomfortable questions
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about your business and your life so he asked questions or he tells you to ask questions like
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what am I not seeing what if my core assumptions are wrong what would I do if I knew I couldn't fail
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these questions are clarity generators they force you to confront reality and make sometimes
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difficult decisions based on that reality not on wishful thinking or vague aspirations now
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you might be thinking well this all sounds great but how do I actually gain this type of clarity
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excellent question but before we dive into that we need to address a pretty major roadblock
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that's probably standing in your way right now it's a modern epidemic it's eroding our ability
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to gain clarity faster and you can say analysis paralysis I'm talking about the paradox of choice
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the paradox of choice fuels motivation and vice versa because we always think we have more options
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I think it's very important to unpack the paradox of choice which is really kind of the hidden
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enemy of clarity so let me paint a picture for you imagine walking into a store to buy a
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pair of jeans okay it sounds simple right but you're standing there you're faced with slim fit
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straight leg boot cut high rise low rise dark wash light wash distressed raw denim you get the
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picture suddenly picking a pair of pants feels like you're trying to diffuse a bomb this is the
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paradox of choice a phenomenon first described by psychologist Barry Schwartz and in essence it stresses
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that while some choice is good too much choice paralyzes us and makes us less satisfied with our
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decisions now you might be thinking well what does this have to do with clarity and motivation
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and the answer is everything because in today's world we're not just choosing between types of
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jeans we're choosing between infinite career paths we're choosing between countless lifestyle
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options we're choosing between endless self improvement strategies we're choosing between
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tons of investment opportunities all these different relationship models and that's just
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scratching the surface each choice you don't make each decision you postpone creates what I like
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to call clarity debt it's like technical debt and software development clarity debt accumulates
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over time it makes it increasingly difficult to move forward with confidence I want to give you
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an analogy or a story let me introduce you to Alex now Alex is hypothetical but to be honest
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an all too real example of clarity debt in action so Alex super talented graphic designer she
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dreams of starting her own business but she's having some trouble deciding what should she do
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she she could focus on brand identity for startups she could specialize in packaging design for
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eco-friendly products she could create digital assets for online courses she could become an NFT
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artist each path could seem promising each path has potential so what does Alex do she decides to
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keep her options open she dabbles in all four she takes on clients in each area just to pay the
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bills she starts multiple social media accounts and she tries to build her skills across all domains
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now what is the result burnout mediocre results a creeping sense of failure and resentment
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Alex isn't lacking motivation in fact she has a ton of motivation but she's drowning in options
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and she's suffocating under the weight of her clarity debt here's the truth every time you say
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I'll keep my options open you're not being smart you're not being strategic you're accumulating
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clarity debt and that debt comes with a crippling interest in the form of decision fatigue
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imposter syndrome lack of specialization deluded efforts unclear messaging the potential clients
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or employers the list goes on and on and the irony is by trying to avoid missing out you actually
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end up missing out on the compounding benefits of focused effort and expertise so how do we
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break free from this cycle how do we pay down our clarity debt and start making real progress so
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it starts with understanding that clarity isn't just about knowing what you want it's about having
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the courage to eliminate options let's talk about the neuroscience of clarity so you understand
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what's happening from a biological perspective we're gonna get a little bit nerdy it's gonna be
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trust don't worry it's gonna be more interesting than than high school biology but we're gonna
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look under the hood a little bit so there is a fascinating world of biology that really helps us
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understand how our brain perceives clarity and I'll ask you I'll ask all of you if you ever wondered
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why making a clear decision feels so damn good or why avoiding decisions feel safe in the moment
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but anxiety inducing in the long run and it all comes down to this intricate dance of neurotransmitters
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in your brain let's break it down so first we have the dopamine dilemma so you've probably heard
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of dopamine this is sometimes simplistically called the feel good chemical but dopamine's real
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job is much more nuanced it's not about pleasure it's about anticipation and motivation now this is
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where it gets interesting so unclear goals or vague aspirations create a constant low level dopamine
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drip so it feels okay in the moment like kind of like hey at least you're dreaming big right but
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it never leads to satisfaction now clear achievable goals on the other hand create a dopamine jackpot
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when you actually accomplish these goals so in other words clarity turns you from a dopamine
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addict always chasing the next hit into a dopamine investor who reaps these massive returns
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the second thing be amygdala and the discomfort zone so I want to talk about why gaining clarity
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can feel so uncomfortable at first this is usually the responsibility of the amygdala
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now the amygdala is your brain's fear center so when you start getting clear on your goals
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you're essentially telling your brain we're changing course and you're amygdala whose job is to
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keep you safe it freaks out it floods your system with cortisol this is a stress hormone it triggers
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all too familiar feeling of anxiety and that's why so many people avoid clarity that initial
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discomfort feels like a warning sign so they retreat to the safety of vagueness and again
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quote unquote keeping options open but here's the plot twist that discomfort is actually a sign
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that you're on the right track now let's talk about the next part of your brain or rather
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something your brain does called neuroplasticity so every time you push through that initial
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discomfort and you make a clear decision you're actually and quite literally rewiring your brain so
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yes there is an initial sort of cortisol rush that will make you feel uncomfortable but when you
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push through that you're rewiring your brain and this process of rewiring your brain is known
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neuroplasticity it's how your brain adapts to new circumstances so the first few times that you
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choose clarity over vagueness it feels hard your brain is creating new neural pathways but each time
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you do it those pathways gets stronger and eventually clarity becomes your brain's default mode
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it's like building a muscle the first few reps are tough the first time you go into the gym
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is tough but with consistent training you become a clarity generating machine now the last
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bit of biology of nerdiness let's talk about the reticular activating system or RAS so this is
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where clarity becomes a superpower your RAS or reticular activating system is a bundle of nerves
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at your brain stem that filters information it decides what gets into your conscious mind and
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what doesn't so when you have crystal clear goals when your brain starts to rewire you're essentially
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programming your RAS so suddenly you start noticing opportunities ideas resources that align
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with your crystal clear goals and they were always there but your brain was filtering them out
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because they didn't match any clear objective this is why people often talk about opportunities
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quote unquote appearing once they get clear on their goals the opportunities didn't just magically
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materialize their brains started letting that information through so let's put it all together
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let's recap a little bit number one clear goals optimize your dopamine system for long-term
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satisfaction number two the initial discomfort of gaining clarity is just your amygdala
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doing its job so push through it number three each clear decision strengthens your clarity muscles
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through neuroplasticity it rewires your brain and number four clarity reprograms your RAS to filter
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in opportunities aligned with your goals and what's the result it's a brain that is literally
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rewired for success now I know what you're thinking okay Scott this all sounds great but how do I
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actually start gaining this type of clarity excellent question let's talk about some unconventional
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methods to actually gain clarity let's get our hands dirty okay so we talked about why clarity
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matters what it does to your brain now let's dive into how to actually achieve it but if you're
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warning these are not your grandma's goal setting techniques we're not gonna talk about smart goals
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or create vision boards I really want to push some boundaries and maybe make you a little bit
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uncomfortable because that's where the magic happens so let's dive in first idea that you
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should familiarize yourself with the regret minimization framework this comes straight from the
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playbook of Jeff Bezos so before he started Amazon Bezos used this framework to gain clarity
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on whether he should leave his cushy wall street job here's how it works step one project yourself
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to the age of 80 step two look back on your life step three ask yourself which decisions will I
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regret the least and then lastly execute and it's very simple but powerful it's basically fast
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forwarding yourself to the end of your life and you strip away the short term fears to see what
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really matters so I want you to try it now what decisions are you wrestling with I want you to
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apply the regret minimization framework and see what kind of clarity emerges second exercise
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the hundred knows exercise so this is for everybody who's a people pleaser here's the challenge
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I want you to say no to 100 things this month now why because clarity isn't just about what you
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say yes to it's equally about what you say no to so I want you to keep a log each time you say
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no to a request an invitation or even a thought it doesn't align with your priorities write it down
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aim for 100 and at first it's going to feel uncomfortable and you might even feel a little
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bit guilty but as you progress you're going to notice something your yeses become more powerful your
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time starts to open up your energy starts to focus and clarity emerges from the space that you've
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created the third framework clarity through constraints so we often think the more options
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lead to better outcomes but it's actually the opposite that's true constraints breed creativity
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and they force clarity so I want you to try this step one take your biggest goal step two cut your
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resources in half half the time half the money half the team step three ask yourself how would I
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achieve this goal with these constraints this forces you to get crystal clear on what's
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essential it eliminates the fluff and it zeros in on the core of what you're trying to achieve
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paradoxically you're going to find that the constrained version is actually more innovative and
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more impactful than your original idea the next framework is a skill stack approach so this one
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comes from Scott Adams he's a creator of Dilbert instead of trying to be the best at one thing
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become reasonably good at a unique combination of skills and this is how you apply it so I want
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you to list out your top five to seven skills they don't have to be world class but things that you're
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reasonably good at step two I want you to look for unique combinations so how can you stack these
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skills in a way that's very rare and valuable and what this approach does is it helps you gain
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clarity on your unique value proposition that you can bring to the world it's not about being the
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best it's about being the only one who does what you do and the last framework that I think is
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very important is something called the dead end visualization it's a little bit dark but sick with
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me it's very powerful so step one I want you to visualize continuing on your current path for the
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next five years step two I want you to imagine that it leads to complete failure and yes I told you
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it was dark and then step three I want you to write out in like very vivid detail what failure
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looks like and feels like and now step four work backwards what decisions led to this outcome now
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this exercise is going to help you identify the pitfalls and the wrong turns before you make them
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it's like clarity through negative space by seeing clearly what you don't want what you do want
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comes into very sharp focus and the last idea or the last framework or whatever you want to call it
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is the Odysseus contract so this was named after the Greek hero who had himself tied to the mast
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to resist the siren song if you've heard this story and this technique is about creating clarity
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through pre-commitment so this is how you this is how you use it step one you want to identify a goal
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that requires sustained effort step two I want you to create a contract with serious consequences
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for not following through and then I want you to step three give that contract to a trusted friend
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to enforce so for example if your goal is to write a book your contract might say that if you don't
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write a thousand words a day you have to donate a hundred dollars to a cause that you hate so
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what this does is it creates very instant clarity suddenly the path forward is crystal clear
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because the alternatives are too painful to consider now I know some of you are thinking
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these sound intents do I really need to go to these extremes if I just want to find clarity but
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this is a truth finding true clarity it's beautiful when you do it it's not gentle it's not a
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comfortable process it's about making very tough choices confronting very hard truths and
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committing with everything you've got now you don't have to incorporate all six of these frameworks
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but these are great starting points but there is some good news because once you have that clarity
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everything else becomes easier decisions they used to paralyze you become so obvious tasks
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that used to drain you they start to energize you why because clarity doesn't just guide your
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actions it actually generates the energy you need to follow through I actually want to talk about
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this I want to talk about energy as a byproduct of clarity because we spoke about how chasing
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motivations like trying to catch smoke remember it's impossible it's incredibly draining but
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there's a there's a little twist when you have true clarity you don't have to chase anything
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because energy finds you this is a phenomenon I like to call clarity momentum so imagine
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you're in a robot on a foggy lake and you can barely see a few feet in front of you so you start
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rowing but you're not sure if you're moving in circles or you're actually making progress so
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every single row every single stroke feels like a chore that is life without clarity now imagine
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the fog suddenly lifts you see the shore you're aiming for clear is day not only that but you notice
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a strong current flowing exactly where you want to go suddenly each stroke of your or propels you
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forward with way more force your energize you're excited you're moving faster than you ever thought
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possible I'll even give you an example if for people that aren't rowing boats daily think about
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the last time you drove somewhere without getting there before without any GPS and it just seems
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tiresome it seems long it seems drawn out versus if you drive somewhere you've been a thousand times
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with a GPS and there's something exciting at the end of the road or the end of the road trip
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like the feeling is just incredibly different I don't even know how else to describe it
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it's like night and day yet it's the exact same trip but what this is is it's clarity
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so this is how it actually works and this is why you experience those two very different
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outcomes from relatively the same action when you have found clarity so first why does this happen
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well decision fatigue evaporates so when you lack clarity every little decision drains your mental
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energy should I take on this project it's just the right career move my wasting my time but with
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crystal clear goals and priorities 90 percent of the decisions they make themselves that mental
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energy you're wasting on this trivial decision it's now laser focused on your key objectives
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it's like upgrading from a leaky bucket to a high pressure fire hose same amount of water
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exponentially more power second reason why this happens is the motivation equation flips what do I
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mean we often think that action follows motivation once I feel motivated I'll act it's motivation
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first action second but clarity this equation flips action creates motivation it's almost like
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a flywheel effect so each step you take towards your clear goal releases dopamine it energizes you
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for the next step it's like this self reinforcing cycle the clearer your goal the more energized
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you feel taking action which in turn makes your path even clearer and this is why
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people in a state of clarity often seem to have unlimited energy they are riding this clarity
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momentum wave and the third reason why this happens one of my favorite reasons is that flow
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state becomes very frequent so I'm not gonna go on and tell you all and teach you all about flow
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state I'm sure some of you already know but flow state is really just the feeling of being in
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quote unquote the zone it's where you do your best work it's where time seems to fly by work feels
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effortless this is flow state and one of the most effective there's a lot of different ways to
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get in the flow state but one of the most effective ways to get into flow state is when you have clarity
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clarity is your express ticket to flow state when you have clarity you naturally set yourself
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up for flow because you have clear goals check you have immediate feedback on your progress check
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and you have a balance between your skills and the challenge check clarity creates the perfect
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conditions for flow and flow is like mainlining pure energy and productivity another counter
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intuitive truth happens to you obstacles become opportunities when you have enough clarity obstacles
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actually start to energize you now why is this because when you're crystal clear on your destination
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every obstacle becomes a puzzle to solve not a reason to quit you have to think about it like a
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video game when you know exactly what your mission is encountering enemies or obstacles it doesn't
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discourage you as part of the process actually exciting it's fun each one you overcome proves
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that you're on the right path and gets you closer to your goal that is clarity's momentum in action
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and lastly remember the RIS the reticular activating system I spoke about before so this is
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like your brain's bounce or it chooses what to let in and what not to let in when you have crystal
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clear clarity on what you want to do you have essentially programmed it your RIS you've essentially
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programmed your reticular activating system to become your personal assistant what do I mean by
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that you start to notice opportunities you start to notice resources connections that align with
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your goals and it's not that they weren't there before your brain just wasn't flagging them as
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important and this constant influx of relevant information that your RIS is now letting in and the
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opportunities that you start to see creates a sense of excitement and possibility it's very
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energizing it feels like the universe it's conspiring to help you succeed really it's just your
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brain noticing things that are aligned with what it knows you want to accomplish that's all that
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this really is now how do you actually tap into this like supercharged clarity momentum state
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where you have all these things sort of working in your favor so I would say there's a few strategies
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to start to achieve clarity which is really what you have to do to tap into any of these states
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or take advantage of any of these things but what you could do to start would be a clarity sprint
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so you can take a day or even just a few hours to engage in deep thinking about your goals and your
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priorities you can use some of the methods that I discussed earlier you can there's a variety of
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other methods but the point is you have to find clarity the clarity you gain is going to kickstart
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your momentum second idea you can create clarity ritual so you can build habits that reinforce
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your clarity daily this could be a morning journaling session where you reconnect with your goals
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or it could be an evening review where you check your actions that you did in that day against
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your priorities see if they're actually lining up third thing you could do would be to celebrate
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clarity wins so each time you make a decision that aligns with your clear goals celebrate it
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it just reinforces the neural pathways we talked about earlier making clarity your brains default
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mode now I can almost hear some of you thinking okay this is all sounds great but what if I gain
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clarity and then realize that I've been on the wrong path so excellent question and let's talk
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about how I don't want to confuse anybody or throw anybody off but let's talk about how too much
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clarity can lead in some cases to tunnel vision and how to strike the right balance between this
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unwavering focus and adaptability this would be an elephant in the room we have to talk about
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because we've kind of just been like seeing praises about clarity but like any powerful tool
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it comes with its own set of risks so it's really time to look at the potential pitfalls
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of clarity and how to navigate them and this would be the I guess quote unquote dark side
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of clarity so first let's talk about the tunnel vision trap imagine you're an archer right clarity
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is like having a precision scope on your bow I guess if you're the hunter on your gun whatever
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but it helps you focus on your target with this laser-like accuracy it sounds great right
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but what if while you're zoomed in on your target a better opportunity walks right behind you so
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this is a tunnel vision trap when you are too focused on a specific goal you might miss
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emerging trends in your industry new technologies that could revolutionize your approach potential
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collaborators or mentors you can miss unexpected opportunities that could sort of leapfrog you ahead
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and remember a good example of this codec so codec was they were crystal clear on their goals
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I mean they knew that they wanted to dominate the film photography market that clarity
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served them well till it didn't and they were so focused on film that they missed the digital
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revolution happening around them the second thing that you have to watch out for is I guess the
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best way to call it is the sun cost fallacy on steroids so clarity can make you more resilient
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and persistent but if it's taken too far it can also make you sort of stubbornly cling to a goal
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that's no longer serving you so this is sun cost fallacy on steroids you invested so much
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time and energy into this clear path the changing course could kind of feel like you're admitting
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defeat but sometimes it's true the most courageous thing you can do is change your mind another
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thing that can happen is too much clarity which is about focus and elimination well that can kill
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some creativity because creativity does thrive on connection and combination and if you're too
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clear on your path you might stop exploring you might stop playing you might stop making those weird
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unexpected connections that lead to breakthrough innovation remember some of the world's
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inventions were accidents so Alexander Fleming he discovered penicillin because he was a bit
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messy in his lab if he had been too focused on his intended experiments he might have missed
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his very world changing discovery and the last thing you have to watch out for is adaptability
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because in our very rapidly changing world adaptability is crucial but too much clarity can make
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you rigid it can make you unable to pivot when circumstances change it's like being a master
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sailor with this very clear destination you know exactly where your ship's going but you live in
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this world where islands can move overnight now your clarity would serve you if the islands didn't move
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but your clarity of purpose needs to be balanced with flexibility in approach let me explain
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what that means so clarity obviously I'm doing this whole piece on clarity it's very important
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but how do you have flexible clarity so that you don't run into any of these these problems that I
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just mentioned how do you really reap the benefits of clarity without falling into traps okay so
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the key is what I call flexible clarity this is how to cultivate it step one you want to set clear
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goals fuzzy methods so you want to be crystal clear on your destination but flexible on how you
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get there Jeff Bezos was clear that he wanted to build earth's most customer centric company but he
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was open to the methods pivoting from books to basically be everything store to cloud computing right
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so he was fuzzy on his methods to get to his clear goals I also want you to conduct regular
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clarity audit so I want you to schedule regular times to step back and reassess your clarity are
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your goal still relevant has new information come to light that you should adjust your path
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but you have to do audits to understand where you are and just so you take the blinders off once
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in a while third thing you should do is embrace productive doubt so I want you to cultivate a habit
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of questioning your assumptions not to the point of paralysis but enough to keep you honest and open
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to new information next I want you to play the what if game regularly I want you to regularly ask
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what if I'm wrong play out scenarios where your clear path isn't the best one and this mental
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flexibility will really keep you agile I also want you to have clarity zones and exploration zones
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so dedicate most of your time to clear goals but always reserve some time for exploration and play
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and this could be reading outside your field it could be taking up a new hobby or just allowing
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yourself to date you to be creative and I want you to surround yourself with diverse voices I want
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you to build a network of people we think differently from you the perspectives can help you spot
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blind spots in your own clarity remember the goal isn't perfect clarity all the time it's about
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having enough clarity to move forward with purpose while remaining flexible enough to adapt
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when needed I think I want you to think about this kind of like driving a car at night your head
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don't illuminate the entire journey kind of just the next stretch of the road and that's all the
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clarity you need to keep moving forward now you might be wondering this all sounds great in theory
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but how does this play out in the real world excellent question let's talk about some real world
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clarity case studies I want to show you some companies that really showcase clarity and action
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because theory is great but nothing really drives a point home like real world examples so there's
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a few that I put together that show the power and the pitfalls of lacking clarity so power
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clarity pitfalls of lacking it I'd say the first example that I love is Elon Musk so Elon
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is a master of flexible clarity lovemer heydom you cannot deny that Elon Musk has clarity of vision
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his overarching goal has remained clear for decades he wants to make humanity a multi planetary
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species but his methods incredibly flexible it started with online payments paypal to build
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capital and move to electronic cars that Tesla to advance sustainable energy then he launched
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rockets with SpaceX to literally reach the stars what he has done is really demonstrate flexible
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clarity at its finest he's laser focused on his ultimate goal but he's really flexible in his
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approach to achieving it and the takeaway is to have a clear long-term vision but be adaptable
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in your short-term strategies case study too I mentioned them before codec so this is what happens
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when clarity becomes tunnel vision and their story is really worth a deeper look because for most
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of the 20th century codec dominated the photography market their clarity was unmatched really
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was to provide easy to use cameras and high quality film to capture people's memories the
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clarity served them well until it didn't when digital photography emerged codec saw it as a threat
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rather than an opportunity and they were so clear on their identity as a film company that they
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couldn't envision a filmless future even though they invented the first digital camera in 1975
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and was a result a company that once held a 90% market share in film sales filed for bankruptcy
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in 2012 the takeaway is that you have to regularly reassess your clarity to really ensure
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that it's not becoming tunnel vision third-case study is amazon so amazon's mission statement has
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remained unchanged since 1995 so the next case study is Nokia and really this shows what happens
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when there's a lack of clarity that's the best way to put it because in the early 2000s
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Nokia was the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer but as smartphones emerged
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Nokia really struggled to adapt and if you ask why the answer is lack of clarity they couldn't
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decide if they were a hardware company or a software company or a service company and this lack
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of clear identity it led to internal conflicts it led to delayed decisions and by the time they tried
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enter the smartphone market it was too late takeaway lack of clarity can lead to indecision
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and missed opportunity another example is Patagonia so clarity can also drive unconventional
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decisions when you have it Patagonia does clarity very well so Patagonia has a very clear mission
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their mission is we're in business to save our home planet and what did this clear mission
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what was the result of this so this clarity led founder Yvonne Srinard to make an incredibly
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shocking decision in 2022 to give away the entire company to fight climate change now most businesses
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focused on growth and profit Patagonia's crystal clear mission allowed them to make a bold move
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that aligned perfectly with their values the takeaway is that true clarity can lead to decisions
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that might seem irrational to others but are actually perfectly aligned with your mission you
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would have never thought to do that if you did not have clarity on what you wanted to achieve as a
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company and the next study is Netflix so Netflix had a great clear vision and their journey is really
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a masterclass in maintaining clarity through change and when you do go through change if you
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do not have clarity you're going to be in trouble but they started with a very clear mission
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deliver the best entertainment experience then you have to look at their pivot they went from
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DVD by email to streaming and they went from content distributor to content creator and each shift
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was a response to changing technology and market demands but their core clarity providing the best
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entertainment experience it remained constant and the takeaway here is your methods may change
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but your core clarity can remain constant now if you look at all these case studies these examples
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there's some really clear patterns that emerge first lesson that I pull out of this clarity
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as a compass not a map the most successful entities companies they use clarity as a general direction
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not a specific route they know where they're going but they remain flexible on how to get this
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second lesson regular clarity audits I mentioned this before successful companies they do
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regularly reassess their clarity to ensure it's still relevant and not turning into tunnel vision
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third lesson clarity drives bold moves when you're clear on your mission you can make decisions that
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might seem risky or unconventional to others but they align perfectly with your needs next lesson
44:08
lack of clarity leads to missed opportunities without clear direction it's very easy to become
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reactive rather than proactive and you miss key opportunities for growth or adoption and last
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lesson clarity transcends industry boundaries what does this mean true clarity is about purpose
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not product it allows for expansion into seemingly unrelated areas that actually serve the core
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mission because you know what that core mission is now I might be thinking this all sounds great
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for big companies but how do I apply this to my own life or my own small business great question
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this is why you need to learn about the clarity audit this is your tool for focused success because
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we journey through the power of clarity it's potential pitfalls we've seen it in action with real
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world examples and companies but it's important to bring it all home back to you so this is the clarity
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audit this is a tool that I want you to take away this isn't just another fluffy self assessment
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it is a hard hitting no holds bar look at where you stand with clarity in your life and your work
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so if you're ready to get uncomfortable good because that's where the growth happens so what is
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the clarity audit I need you to rate yourself on a scale of one to ten for each question I'm
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gonna give you the questions in a second but on for a one that means you are completely unclear
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and a ten is crystal clear and I want you to be brutally honest because you're only cheating
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yourself if you're not first question core purpose do you have a clear compelling reason for
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what you're doing in your life and your work can you articulate it in one sentence two values
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alignment are your daily actions consistently aligned with your core values can you list your top
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three non-negotiable values without hesitation three goal clarity do you have specific measurable
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goals for the next one five and ten years can you recite your top three goals for this year
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from memory four priority focus can you instantly identify the top three priorities you should be
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focusing on right now and do you consistently say no to opportunities that don't align with these
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priorities five decision-making do you have a clear framework for making important decisions can
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you make most decisions quickly without agonizing over them six feedback loop do you have clear
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metrics to measure progress towards your goals and do you regularly reassess and adjust your goals
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based on new information seven clarity communications can you clearly articulate your vision
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and goals to others and do people around you understand and support your direction eight flexibility
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imbalance are you open to changing your methods while staying true to your core purpose and do
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you regularly explore ideas outside your main focus area nine action alignment does your calendar
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reflect your stated priorities and do you constantly take actions directly contribute to your main
47:09
goals and ten emotional clarity are you clear on what truly motivates you beyond money or status
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and can you quickly identify and address emotional barriers to your progress so this is the
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clarity audit now you have to score your clarity audit when you go through this exercise I want you
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to total up your scores nine eight two a hundred your clarity champion you're operating with laser
47:30
focus and your challenge is now maintaining flexibility seventy to eighty nine your clarity
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contender you're on the right track but there's room for sharpening your focus fifty to sixty nine
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you're kind of a novice you have some clear areas but there's a lot of fog there so you have to
47:48
roll up your sleeves and really get focused and below fifty this is an emergency so if you're below
47:54
fifty you are most likely feeling stuck overwhelmed but don't stress this is why we're doing this
48:01
together you have to take your first step in identifying your problem and actually I would say
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the audit is the first step in identifying your problem but regardless of your score this is your
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challenge I want you to identify the three lowest scoring areas from your audit and for each I want
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you to write down one specific action you can take in the next 24 hours to improve your clarity or
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score on that particular piece and then I want you to schedule these actions into your calendar
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right now I can wait like I want these in your calendar and if you did this good this is your
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first step towards greater clarity now remember clarity isn't a destination it's a journey it's
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not about achieving perfect clarity once and for all in fact it's impossible it's about consistently
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refining your focus adjusting your course pushing through the fog and as you move forward these
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final thoughts in your mind just take if you take nothing else away take this away clarity breeds
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courage the clearer you are the more confidently you can act embrace the discomfort of gaining clarity
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it is the precursor for bold actions clarity is a practice like meditation or exercise clarity
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improves with consistent practice so I want you to make this audit and the improvement of some of the
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things you find through this audit a regular part of your routine clarity catalyzes community so when
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you're clear on your direction you will naturally attract others who resonate with your vision so
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I don't want you to be afraid to share your clarity because it could inspire others and clarity
49:32
isn't certainty you don't need to be 100% certain to have clarity you just need to be clear enough
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to make the next step lastly clarity evolves what's clear today might become foggy tomorrow as
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circumstances change it's okay stay vigilant be willing to reassess and refine your clarity
49:53
regularly so now you've got the tools to cut through the fog of indecision you've got the tools to
49:59
tap into the power of clarity the question is really what are you going to do with this newfound
50:05
clarity you don't have to answer me right now but ask yourself are you going to fall back into this
50:10
comfortable haze of vague goals and scattered focus are you actually going to embrace the challenge
50:15
of clarity you're going to push through that initial discomfort you're going to unlock levels of
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energy and achievement that you never thought possible that's the outcome you're going for the
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choice is always yours of course but remember clarity isn't just a nice to have we live in a
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world of endless distraction unlimited opportunities clarity is the ultimate competitive advantage so
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I'm going to ask you what is your next clear move