When I first started my coaching practice 5 years ago, I was clear as mud about what I was doing. I had a vague idea of wanting to help women business owners, but lacked focus and clarity on the who and the how. My husband and I were walking on the beach one day and I was jabbering away, excited about what I wanted to create and how I wanted to support women. He turned to me and said, “I don’t know what to tell people it is that you do.” Yikes! I felt like he had hit me over the head (in a gentle way with a nerf bat.) I knew that I needed more clarity in order to grow a successful business but I was struggling to find it by myself.
I found this particularly frustrating because in my previous business as the publisher of a parenting magazine, I knew exactly what my role was. I knew what needed to happen every day to grow my business. I knew who my readers were and who my ideal clients were. It was hard work but I had clarity and focus.
I felt a keen loss of identity that hit me harder than expected when I sold my publishing company and moved to California. It took me a couple of years of trial and error but I now feel very clear about who I am, who I serve, how I serve them and what I am creating in my business. It took some serious soul searching, more long walks on the beach with Brad and investing in some great coaches to help me create clarity.
What happened when I got clear? I was able to easily identify that I love working with creative women entrepreneurs who are struggling with too many ideas and don’t know what to focus on to grow their business. I get so much satisfaction from helping them to turn their ideas and their dreams into profitable businesses.
One of my coaches said, “You can’t read the ingredients on the label from inside the jar.” This was such an aha moment for me. Not only did it help me realize that I couldn’t see myself clearly but it also helped me realize why I am so good at helping others create clarity in their business! I can read the ingredients on their label. I am great at this and I love doing it, I have a keen ability to see the big picture and the steps needed to get you there.
What happens if you’re not feeling much clarity? What if you can’t make up your mind about what path you should choose, and your decision-making seems muddled? You most likely feel overwhelmed and stuck. You may feel like you are not fulfilling your destiny or feel dissatisfied with your business. I know, because I have been there and it’s so frustrating. For the first year in my coaching business, I felt like I was trying everything and nothing was working. I think that’s why I am so passionate about the topic of clarity.
Below I share six steps to support your journey towards business clarity. And if you would like my personal support with this process, I’d love to connect with you. I offer a few complimentary “Clarity, Creativity and Confidence Breakthrough Session” each month. You can apply here for your session. But to get started right now, take some time to work through the six actions outlined below.
Six steps to creating more business clarity:
- Take responsibility.
The power in taking full responsibility for anything is that you give yourself the power to change it. If you believe that something is inside of your control, you can always find a way to have what you want. You’ll never be stuck.
* Clarity is something that you ultimately create, not something that happens to you. If you’re currently not as well practiced at creating clarity as you would like, commit to yourself that you’re going to work on this.
- Visualize.
Instead of waiting for the ideal circumstances, visualize what your life would be like if they were in place. What would you know that you don’t know right now? How would you feel? Visualization can help you make decisions as though things are actually already the way you want them to be.
- Write down your goals and review them.
Having a written objective will help you stay clear. First of all, you have to make some decisions to even have a goal in the first place. Second, by reviewing that goal every day, you’ll keep reinforcing that objective. As you do this work, your clarity will become a little greater each day.
* Reviewing your goals first thing in the morning and last thing at night should work well for you. When you review your goals, you are reminding your conscious and your unconscious selves that you are working towards this goal.
- Believe that an okay goal is better than no goal. Many people get stuck making a goal because they believe they have to come up with the perfect goal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Don’t spend too much time or energy creating the goal. Just pick something that feels good to you and start working on it.
- Focus on one project at a time. Having a high level of clarity is easier if you’re only focusing on one thing at time. After you’ve achieved several goals, then you can try working on several goals simultaneously. Avoid spreading yourself too thin, especially at first.
As you can see, you can do many things to increase your level of clarity. The best news is that you don’t have to wait; you can get started today. As you increase your clarity, your life will seem easier and easier. Before you know it, you’ll achieve goals you never even thought you could set for yourself. Now that’s progress!
