"Are We Clear?"

"Hope is NOT a strategy. It never has been. The truth is, the new year will be pretty much the same as the last one unless you put something in place to MAKE SURE it will be different."

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"Are We Clear?"

For most of us, when we hear this being said, it's often a stern warning rather than a genuine question.

And unfortunately many questions are merely statements in disguise.

But if this question IS asked in a sincere fashion, it really is a good one.

What could be more important than being clear?

And I'm not talking only about communication.

I'm talking about being clear on who we are, what we want, why we want it, what we stand for--and what we WON'T stand for.

Finding people who match this description is a rare occurrence.

How many people do you know who you could truly say that about?

And what about YOU? Are you clear?

In my 30-plus years of studying success principles and why and how people became successful--or didn't--I've found many common denominators.

But even with the principles, disciplines and beliefs shared by successful people, the one that stands out the most to me is being clear and being congruent with that clarity.

You can have many skills, talents, knowledge and insights, but if you lack clarity and congruity, you will not achieve your full and unique potential.

I know, because for most of my life, I didn't even come close. I had a fair amount of talent, I had studied--and knew--most of the success principles, but real and lasting success always seemed to elude me.

For much of my life I have lived far below what I was capable of accomplishing. I was smart, talented, hard working and--with only a few exceptions--failing. I looked good, smelled good -- and I was broke. I felt like a fake--and to some extent, I was.

What I believe was lacking was clarity of purpose: the understanding and allegiance to my values and the consistent focus to truly be who I felt I could and should be. I often felt like I was missing something, that I didn't have the last number in the combination lock of success.

And to some extent that was true. Because I was unclear, I second-guessed myself a lot. I felt like I was doing things wrong. I even believed I was being punished for not getting it right.

Perhaps I needed to go through the crucible I went through in order to really learn what I needed learn. But somehow I managed to get clear on what I really wanted--and just as importantly, WHY I wanted it.

I began to think of myself as deserving. And things started to change.

I have by no means "arrived" and I certainly don't share this with you to boast. I share it because I believe it can make a difference for you.

When I start to struggle and feel overwhelmed, I know I'm losing my clarity edge and I'm unsure of the next best action to take.

When I notice this, I step back a bit. I invest the time and energy to get clear on what it is I truly want to have happen. I also get clear on what is likely standing in my way.

As I look at what SuccessNet has done over the last 10 years, I see we've we have provided the best assistance to our great subscribers and members by helping them get clearer, to think bígger and expose them to possibilities they might not have seen otherwise.

It feels good.

And on that, I'm clear.

Action Point

The biggest hurdle is to realize where you are unclear. Once you understand that and truly begin looking for the clarity, you will surely find it.

It's almost impossible to become LESS clear when you're focused on more clarity. If you invest the time to do this, you will make significant progress. It will be easier than you thought possible and you will experience more fulfillment than ever before.

Make it a Great Day!

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Michael Angier is founder and CIO (Chief Innovation Officer)
of SuccessNet - practical information, resources and ideas you can use to be more effective—both personally and professionally.