Excerpt from Get Clarity “ Most of our formal education and training fails to address the issue of change, and few of us learn enough about deep change to be comfortable with it. And today, transition, transformation, and change are occurring more rapidly than at any other time in history. This acceleration makes it imperative to learn new skills for rapidly redesigning your guiding vision and the strategy to achieve it as you are faced with choice points.”Omega Watch Richard Mille
Let’s take a moment for a quick quiz. What is the ultimate goal of Clarity’s flowing river?
a. to get stuck in an eddy
b. to sun bathe on the river’s beach
c. to find Gary’s missing hair
d. to get to the end of the Clarity River
Although we suspect Gary’s hair fell into an eddy, your memory likely helped you identify D as the correct answer. The goal of Get Clarity is to find your vision realized at river’s end. All rivers are individually tailored and vary likewise. Some clients find themselves completing the journey right after beginning. Others meander down the scenic route thoroughly taking their time. Although clients travel at different speeds, there is no speed limit. In fact, acceleration is encouraged. Acceleration is the rate at which the river’s completion shows up. Put another way, acceleration brings your vision to fruition sooner. Meandering is enjoyable, but generally our entrepreneurial and visionary clients want to reach their goals fast. With an easily flowing river in mind, let’s explore acceleration. But let’s do it by looking at a different journey. Forgo the personal Clarity river for a moment. In lieu of water, go back in history to mountains where pioneers traveled westward in their conestogas.
Let’s look at acceleration in two ways; releasing and inviting. The rate at which your vision becomes your reality depends upon the approach. Releasing is all about letting go of old ideas and inviting brings in that which supports and assists our vision. Pioneers starting their journey to the west coast looked forward to a new life with new opportunities. Yet, they packed their conestogas with remnants from their old life. Grand pianos, stoves, heavy furniture, and trunks filled full headed out with these pioneer families. Right around the Rocky Mountains, if not before, the westward visionaries realized these heavy reminders of days old were actually slowing progress and stalling movement. It was not uncommon to see discarded items alongside the trail. Pioneers released old ideas in order to accelerate towards their new idea – a new life.
Travelers on the trail eventually learned to invite in help from the natives. Native Americans were exotic and dangerous to early Americans. Their seemingly primitive dress and culture frightened many. However, they were highly adept and extremely knowledgeable about the land. By inviting in and accepting help from skilled Native Americans, pioneers gained invaluable knowledge about the land and best routes to travel. Although still a challenge, the travelers gained better insight and easier conditions.
The Clarity journey requires a boat rather than conestoga, but the similarities are plentiful. What heavy baggage are you ready to throw overboard? Which old ideas are you ready to let go of? Which offers of assistance are you ready to accept and invite in?
Reflection of the journey’s progress is just as important to reaching the end as the water you float on. It’s why Gary and Cathy offer so many coaching sessions after the Get Clarity. Supportive coaching encourages refection and therefore acceleration.
