Collegiate Struggles: On Clarity

Clarity: As Defined Through Practice

It is important to remember, that we are not born with innate passions and desires, nor were we given predisposed goals or built-in breakthroughs. These are personal journeys that involve consistent thought and experimentation.

Clarity is often seen after the fact, once destiny has been fought for and goals have been achieved. When the predisposed goal happened to hit spot-on with passion and hard work. It is the young astronaut who knew he wanted to go to space since he was ten. It is the properly-shaped, well-defined path that forms when all the odds are stacked in your favor. However, this is rarely the case.

Clarity, as defined by high-performance coach Brendon Burchard, is “the child of careful thought and mindful experimentation.” This definition provides a broader insight into the concept, and leaves room for an ever-changing dynamic to take place. It dismisses the idea that one must follow a predisposed goal, but rather, embraces the journey in finding a goal that meets your own needs and acknowledges that it might change as you change.

In order to achieve goals and success in our lives, it is imperative that we first define precisely what our goals are, and what success means. It is at this point when curiosity meets careful thought. To define your take on something, you must first know all the relevant information in regards to that something. Entertaining ideas you might or might not enjoy leads you to figuring out if it sparks any more interest or curiosity in you, if that curiosity is worth exploring, and to what extent.

If and when that curiosity is entertained long enough, experimentation is key in order to understand exactly how far you want to go, and how badly you want it. A clear goal without passion might be efficient, but often, it’s not productive, and rarely ever is it great. It is precisely because of this fact that experimentation leads to successful individuals, albeit, at a later date. The anthropologist that found their calling at twenty-three might achieve their success at a later date the astronaut who loved the stars since they were ten, but they both developed a clear goal and established a clear mindset.

After all, it’s never really about how quickly you get to where you want to go, but rather, it is about getting there at all.

Lack of clarity is, inherently, lack of intention, that comes from lack of passion and drive. Which is not only relevant to your career, but more importantly, it is relevant to your relationships, your dreams, your family, and your day-to-day life.

Intention setting comes from a clear mindset, a set goal. And that is where real success begins, when our search for happiness is clear and when we are open to having that happiness be re-defined as we change and grow.

Once clear goals are developed and established, success comes as a consequence of your intention and passion. And that, is precisely the reason you fight for yourself.

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