CLEAR MANTRA FOR SUCCESS

Manilka Ediriweera explains why clarity in thinking is essential in life

American author, photographer and behavioural science expert James Clear writes: “Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.” As most of us know, there are a host of things that can go wrong in life. And there could be many factors at play for things to go wrong or something not to end up the way you wanted it to.

While all of these aspects can play a role in events, there is a major issue many may not even consider – and that’s the lack of clarity. Without clarity, your focus could be on all the wrong things that won’t necessarily take you to where you want to go. That’s why clarity plays an extremely crucial role in achieving success in all aspects of life.

For instance, take an enterprise: many things could go wrong when one is running such an entity. Sales may not be as you expected, employees might be frustrated at work and products or services might not be as successful as you wish. If there is a lack of clarity in such instances, small bumps along the road could turn into impassable mountains.

Therefore, clarity can be considered a key factor that could create a distinction between success and failure. So let’s examine why it is crucial – and how we can achieve it to succeed.

Think of an instance where you’ve had a clear goal in mind compared to a time when your objective was rather vague. The difference between having a clear goal and a vague one is that the latter doesn’t indicate why you want it, what to do to reach it, when you want to get it and how you will achieve it.

As a result, you’ll have no proper plan… and that could leave you feeling confused, anxious and uncertain. You may not even be able to know if you are making good progress or whether you’re headed in the right direction at all.

But if you do have a clear goal in mind, this means you know what you have to do to get where you want to be. There will be a suitable plan – you’ll know what you should work on and a timeline for achievement. The chances are you’ll be far better motivated, which will lead to a greater degree of success.

Think of objectives as if they were destinations. Having a clear end point means you know where you want to get to and how you could get there. Without a clear plan, you could end up at the wrong place. So clarity will help to identify your destination, cut out all distractions, allow you to focus your efforts and make things happen rather than wait for the desired end result to eventuate.

As American philanthropist, coach and motivational speaker Tony Robbins suggests, if you begin your journey without a destination, you will be caught up in the current and have to go with the flow. It will make you feel as if things are out of control and only allow you to be able to respond to whatever comes your way.

But you won’t achieve success or growth that way; because without knowing where you want to get to, you won’t be able to get there. And that is why clarity is important.

Here are some tips on how you can set clearer goals.

ASK ‘WHY’ Define your motivation or purpose by answering the important question: ‘Why?’ When you define your ‘why,’ you’ll be able to select the best approaches to achieving it.

WHAT’S ‘WHAT’ Identify your goals and destination. Once you do that, you’ll realise there are different approaches to achieving the same objectives. By entertaining a clear understanding of what you want, you’ll be able to select the best strategies to achieve it.

THEN ‘HOW’ Plan how you want to achieve your goals. You can break these down into tasks and set clear deadlines on when you need to complete each task.

Even when it comes to your business, it’s important to always have a clear ‘why’ and ask yourself what the purpose of your organisation or enterprise is. Things often end up not working out the way you hoped because there is no ‘why’ driving the business.

What this suggests is there’s a lack of clarity. It’s also important to be clear about to whom your business is catering. When you clearly understand your target customer base, there is a greater possibility of identifying and understanding what they expect, and then responding to those expectations. This will give your business the critical boost it needs.

Finally, be clear about where you are heading. Possessing a clear vision of your destination makes it easier to map out your plans or approaches and initiate action. Therefore, clearly, clarity is everything.