Give Yourself the Gift of Clarity

What is a Clarity Break?

Picture a jar with sand and water. When we shake the jar, it becomes cloudy, making it impossible for us to see how much sand versus water, or even see through it at all. But, when we set the jar down and let it rest, the sand begins to settle, and we can clearly see through the jar and the amount of sand and water that is inside it.

This story is an abridged version of a story Gino Wickman shares in his latest book, EOS Life, that really resonated with me. The sand represents our work, and the shaking of the jar represents our busy lives. When we fail to take breaks and rest, our work becomes so overwhelming that we get caught up in the chaos and cannot focus on the important parts of our business. If you make the time to give yourself clarity breaks, it will be transformative.

What Happens if You Don’t Take Clarity Breaks?

In the EOS world, we talk about the importance of being both IN the Business and ON the Business. When we are ON the business, we are looking at it as a whole, the long-term goals and the overall Vision of the business. If you regularly get bogged down with constant tasks and a seemingly never ending to-do list, it’s likely you’re getting stuck IN the business.

When you’re always working within the same day-to-day craziness, you can lose sight of the big picture. But, when you take the time to just stop, be still, and breathe, you would be surprised at what can happen. Because clarity breaks are so important for you as a leader and for the success of your business, I like to teach this discipline to my clients within the first year of their EOS journey.

What Happens When You Do Take Clarity Breaks?

For my clients that have already learned this tool (and consistently use clarity breaks), it is eye opening & refreshing. When you schedule yourself time away from the daily grind, it will help you stay sharp, confident, and at your best for your people.

After taking a clarity break, you can come back to your business with fresh, big picture ideas that you might not have seen without your break. This will give you genuine clarity on what’s truly important and what we need to focus on to achieve real results.

How Do I Take a Clarity Break?

The first step is to schedule time for yourself. Just you, outside your office, somewhere you can be alone with your thoughts. The second step is to keep that appointment with yourself, and allow yourself to just think. This is not the time to catch up on emails or work on a to-do list.

With a blank journal or notebook and pen, no agenda, and no interruptions or distractions, you are then challenged to truly think about your business as a whole.

Some of the questions you can ask yourself while on your clarity break are:

• Is the Vision/Plan for the business on track?
• Do I have the Right People in the Right Seats to grow?
• Are my processes working well?
• What can I delegate to others in order to use my time more effectively?

Take Some Time to Evaluate Your Business Today

Take a minute and think. Think about the last time you took some time away. How long has it been since you stepped back from work and truly reflected and thought about your business on a bigger scale?

If the jar of sand and water that is your work/life balance is too cloudy for you to see the other side, reach out to me today for a 90-minute meeting. When you take the time to get away from never ending day-to-day tasks and be ON your business, you will discover the EOS tools that you need to lead your business to success.