Some days, we find ourselves adrift in a sea of “shoulds.” And “coulds.” Even a lot of “goods.” We open our phones. A book. A podcast. A conversation. And the floodgates open.
So much external noise underscores what has always been true. The answer we are looking for often lies within.
I was talking with someone the other day and they shared a common challenge: What do I do amidst all the noise? In this case, a leader under pressure from multiple sides when none of them felt like the balanced place they wanted to lead from.
Another way this frequently shows up is: What should I do when there are so many different directions I could go in? Whether that’s a new job or career path, a service commitment, an “extracurricular,” an avenue for taking action, or deciphering among parenting advice or career advice or insert any other kind of advice.
There’s so much coming at us. How do we know what’s right for us? Which trail to take?
I shared then, and I’ll share now, what I always come back to. It helps to have our clarity compass.
Our clarity compass is uniquely calibrated to us. Our values. Our passions. Our desires. Our knowing.
If we want to act, live and lead in alignment with those things, then we need to be clear on them and look to them to set our direction.
And, that’s the thing we tend to miss. We can’t outsource those things. Those things are uniquely ours.
Which highlights another important truth I want to name. There can be a perception that coaching is about giving advice or direction. However, for me, coaching is about shining a light to help others find their own wisdom and clarity. That’s where the direction comes from.
And, of course, there are tools we can fill our toolkit with, and that’s important. But how we use those tools is, and I believe should be, unique and deeply personal. (A rare “should” you’ll hear me use this way…)
That’s the invitation. To move away from the “shoulds” and the relentless noise towards a place that is quieter and clearer and uniquely our own.
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It was an honor to lead this work for an intimate cohort in January and to be continuing the work from there. And, based on the impact of and feedback from that experience, and how important I see these very tools being – always, and very much in this moment – I’m pleased to offer Some Days, Clarity Compass again for spring.
See here for details: Some Days, Clarity Compass.
If you sense you would benefit from a clarity compass, or yours needs compassionate calibration, I hope you’ll consider joining us.