What’s an Annual Clarity Break? And Why Should I Care?

So what is a clarity break??

A Clarity Break is time that you schedule where you have the intention to just think. During this dedicated thinking time, you get clear on what's important, what needs to be done and what's holding you back. Clarity Breaks are essential for leaders to get re-focused.?

I first heard of a clarity break when reading the book “Traction” by Gino Wickman, the book which spawned EOS (The Entrepreneurial Operating system), which is used in many companies throughout Minnesota and elsewhere.

The book was published in 2007, just 4 months after the first iPhone hit the market. Interestingly, both products radically changed the way we do things.

The Clarity Break is a great weekly practice to ensure we think more about strategy and focus “on” the business rather than what we normally get drawn to, which is to focus on tactical and operational parts or being “in” the business.?

What’s the principle??

You take a pen and paper (or iPad and Apple pencil as I do) and sit somewhere quiet. Then you jot down the ideas, challenges, or strategic questions that are rattling around in your head. And, you think about how the business is operating and how it might operate differently.

It’s a journey through, the “if I was King for the year” approach, then what would I do to improve things? But it’s not just about our business life, but ALL aspects of our lives, whether it be about our body, mind, spirit, family, community, money, hobbies and work.

I have practised this for some years but always felt that I needed a longer session at the end of the year, which helped me think about the upcoming year. So this year I did my own annual clarity break.?

How did I prepare?

I booked 2 nights at an AIR BNB about a 40minute drive from my home in a town?that was close to Lake Minnetonka and had a thriving city centre, so I had the option to walk around when I felt I wanted to, rather than having to drive anywhere. Bars and restaurants were close.

The environment has to be good and the suite was perfect, with a wonderful couch that I used for thinking and some of the most modern amenities such as top-of-the-range kitchen equipment to fantastic completely underfloor heating in a luxury bathroom.

This was an investment so I wanted to ensure I got an ROI on this. So, I prepared a packing list, including materials I wanted to take, as well as files, folders and clothing. I also prepared a list of the things I wanted to accomplish and then scheduled my time there from Friday afternoon to Sunday mid-morning when I checked out.

I want to share with you that this was the best thing I have done in a long time. The solitude and thinking time was highly calming and motivational, and I really did have much more focused clarity. And my ROI far exceeded my expectations.

What did I do?

I wasn’t cut off completely, as I was close to civilization, but I did go off?the grid. I switched my phone (and therefore all my other Apple devices by default) to “Do Not Disturb” for 2 days.?

I used Michael Hyatt’s “My Best Year Ever” book as the framework for the weekend. Published in 2018, I have used this wonderful resource to help me with my yearly goals. It has exercises that are divided into 5 days and I completed three of these before starting my Clarity Break. So I jump-started the break.

I used the time to think through what I had accomplished last year, where I could improve and what were some of the things I wish I had spent more time on. This wasn’t just about business, as I said earlier, it also included family, health and general well-being. Most importantly, I considered what things should I do to bring a better balance to my life and make me happier!

I started the break by diving into 20 or so thick folders that had just piled up over the last 18 months, and sorted them into a David Allen-type of system; deal with them now, reference them or trash them. I ended up with a 1-inch thick file that was just for scanning and filing. The rest was pretty much trashed. I tend to be a hoarder and so I wanted to break this.

What did I accomplish?

I set my new Goals for the year. I set 9, and they range from retaining and getting new clients to reading 20 new books. Each Goal was qualitative and quantitive.

I listed a project list for my main client, whom I spend 3 days with as an Integrator or Fractional COO, which helped me get clarity around what we should be focusing on. I created a Project List for this client.

I got clarity about what I needed to do to build better relationships with my family, get myself fit and write my second book.

And, I was ambitious. As it turned out, not overly so and the reason was that after I listed what I wanted to get done, I then scheduled time to get these things done. Then it became real. We ALWAYS underestimate how much time it takes to get things done, and so I overestimated mine, and that’s when I cut one of the original 10 goals down to 9.

I scheduled in the calendar what time I was going to spend on them. I blocked time for myself for “Writing”, “Reading”, “Gym”, “Weekly Review.” As Michael Hyatt once famously said, “What gets scheduled, gets done.”

Do YOU want a great year?

Of course, you do. Don’t we all? Think about taking a Clarity Break for yourself. Focus on what is really important to you. Prevent any distractions and be disciplined about THINKING what’s important to you and being happier in your everyday life. Good luck!

Peter M. Beaumont?is the Founder and Principal of ConnXN Consulting and is a Leadership Advisor and Fractional Integrator/COO for Business Owners and their Leadership Teams. He is part of the Success Authorities team, President of Twin Cities SEGC and is the author of?The Relationship Roadmap, a comprehensive guide to building relationships with strategic clients.