30. in the search of purpose...

Category: Career and Purpose

30.

The power of clarity: knowing where you are going is half the battle.

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In career and coaching in general, one of the most interesting topics is help with gaining clarity.

Finding out what we truly want - is often the hardest part. But the thing is, without clarity and actions, we are just drifting with the flow of life. Without clarity, even the most ambitious actions can feel directionless.

Yet, often many of us often feel like we do not not really know what we want. And this can be extremely frustrating place to be in. From experience, I have also seen that - it is not so much that we do not know what we want. It is more that we have silently convinced ourselves that it may not be worth it.

Some of the most common blocks to clarity are:

• Our old friend, the fear: Frankly, very often I see that people do know what they want. But we are so afraid to say or admit it because we are aware that if we do, we will have to do something about it.
  
• Overthinking everything: We have been taught to take all aspects into consideration, to make rational decisions, and so on. But gaining clarity on desires, requires connecting to our feelings instead.
  
• Commitment avoidance: Research shows that people who are clear about their career goals are 34% more satisfied and fulfilled. But clarity also includes commitment to pursuing what comes through.
  
  

Here is the thing - if  we keep saying ‘I just don’t know what I want’ - it keeps us safe in the world of not taking action about it. In a strange way, it is how we keep ourselves safe from disappointment.

But clarity about our work, about our purpose, our goals is not just about a goal. It is a lot about discovering what true happiness is to us and who we need to become to experience it. 

So you mean, overthinking is a protection mechanism?
    It is. And sometimes in coaching we ask…