Building Clarity

What does it mean to build clarity? It means to understand what your destination or end goal is. For those just starting out, it may be a simple, “I want to experience multiple restaurants to learn what I enjoy” while others may be, “I want to work in a Michelin 3 star restaurant.” While others their vision could be, “I want to be the best charcuterie chef in the country.”?

Many of you know the Scouting movement. In the US, Scouts BSA teaches you about how to navigate in the wilderness. Having clarity in your career and life is like knowing that you want to reach the top of Mt Denali, the highest peak in North America.

Having a clear destination, vision, or mission can help energize you and give you focus when things get hard. It helps to build hope for the future. Envisioning yourself at the destination and feelings you will get once you arrive build anticipation and excitement for what is to come, it gives you the WHY you are doing it. Keeping that vision is essential to achieving your goals. Building clarity around that vision is HOW you will get there. Having a destination is only one step of building clarity.

The next step is to know where you are right now. Being honest with yourself in knowing your strengths and weaknesses, your skill level and confidence are also an essential part of clarity. Being willing to sit within yourself and without judgement recognize who you need to become and what kind of person you are right now will help give you clarity into the next step or action you need to take.

Having a map is the next step. There are many maps that will help you in your journey. You have road maps, airline maps, places of interest maps, city maps, and topographical maps. Each one of these maps will guide you closer to your destination. These maps could be role models, books, courses, guidebooks, or other things that can give you an indication of obstacles that will come into your life. As well as places that you can see to build your skills and experiences. Things that will help you not only get to the destination, but also to enjoy the journey and the process of getting there.

But just knowing where you are, where you want to go, and having a map is still not enough. You need a compass. A compass is like your network, a mentor or coach. People that can keep you steadily facing the right direction. This is your support group, your 5 closes friends, those you can look to when you get off track. They help guide you through each step of the way. They help point you to things that will make the journey a memorable experience. They can show you the direction you need to point.

As you learn in scouting, you find the direction you want to go using the compass, fix on a point in horizon and walk that way. These are like your interim goals. If you just look at the compass the entire time you are walking, you easily get off track, you will run into obstacles that seem impossible to overcome, you will stumble, fall, and can ultimately lead you in the wrong direction. You must look forward, keep your eyes on the prize, so you can see and overcome the obstacles that will always be in your way. Each person will have their own challenges, but with the support of your compass, even if you must make a detour around a raging river, you will still be able to reach each step.

There are many ways to get to your destination. Some may try to find the fastest path, while others may go for the scenic route. There will be difficulties in any journey. This is an ABSOLUTE truth. Things will not turn out as you would hope or plan. Nature may send a devastating storm and destroy the bridge you were planning on crossing. Flash floods, freak winter storms, broken down vehicles, malfunctioning equipment, and sickness are only some of the things that could go wrong.

To help combat that, follow the motto of the Scouts BSA “Be Prepared” and when in the outdoors, always follow the buddy system.

Knowing your destination, knowing where you stand, having a map to get there, and a compass to keep you in the right direction builds that clarity that will help you achieve even the most difficult of goals. Keeping that vision in your mind, continuously working on yourself to improve your skills and confidence, looking to your role models, continuously looking at the larger picture, and finally having a support system to help give you help when you need to get back on course are all of the things that help build your clarity.