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Hey, hello and welcome back. I am Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity, and this is another episode of the Getting to Clarity podcast. This is the place where you come if you want to get the tips, tools and techniques that you need to create more success in your leadership with less sacrifice in your life. And today we are talking about a topic somewhat associated with overwhelm, and that is personal clarity and how it leads to you making better decisions when it comes to your leadership. So stay tuned.

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Welcome to the Getting to Clarity podcast the place where busy leaders discover how to create more success in their leadership journey with less sacrifice in their life.

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Here's your host, debbie Peterson, of Getting to Clarity.

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Okay, so what are we talking about here? Well, you know, clarity is kind of my superpower, and so what I want to share with you today is about how it can benefit you when you're making choices. So you being a great leader isn't just about what you do at work. It's about who you are as a person outside of work too, and the two are more connected than you might think, and if one side is off balance, it can definitely affect the other. So, to lead effectively, it is really important to understand that it's not just the kind of leader that you want to be, but also you have to consider the kind of life you want to live, because, as life and work shape you over time, your priorities are going to shift. But clarity is the constant that you're always going to need, because it's personal, it's all about you. Your clarity is different from my personal clarity, and it's also not about having a perfect plan. It's about knowing what matters most to you, where you are in your life, in your leadership. At this point, so it is you gain. That helps you to focus on the things that truly count, and they help you to the clarity helps you to make more thoughtful, deliberate decisions. So when you're clear on who you are, you show up authentically. So whether that's in the office or whether it's in your personal life, and that authenticity builds trust, because people know exactly who is showing up day to day and what they can expect from you. So for me, clarity came after I kind of hit a wall. I hit a breaking point. I was trying to be everything for everyone. I was aiming for perfection in every area of my life and I was exhausted. And that overwhelming moment forced me because I got hit with a cosmic two by four. It forced me to pause and ask myself some really hard questions Like what really matters about my work, about my life, about my family? Where do I want to spend my time and my energy? What lights me up and what drains me? So clarity changes the way that you make decisions and it's a game changer when it comes to decision-making, because it helps to cut through the noise so that you can focus on what is going to move the needle for you, depending on what you want. So when you understand your values and they are tied to goals and that is clear, then you spend less time doubting yourself. You spend less time on the hamster wheel chasing absolutely everything. Your decisions become faster, they are more intentional and they are more aligned with who you are. So it's like working a muscle, this clarity. When you put in the reps, it really helps to make things easier for you, and it doesn't just benefit you. It ripples out to the people that you work with and you work for your team, your organization Because when you are clear about your priorities, you lead more intentionally. And when people see that they trust you more as a leader, it inspires confidence from the people around you and your ability to act with focus and intention it sets the tone. It shows other people how they can do the same things. So great.

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How do you get it? What are some practical ways that you can gain more clarity? I'm so glad you asked, because that's what I want to share with you. So, number one really understand what are your core values.

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So clarity starts by figuring out what matters most. You know we can make a list of things that are important, but what matters most, both in your personal work and in your personal sorry, in your professional work and in your personal life? You know some of the questions you might ask yourself are well, what kind of leader do I really want to be Almost like a legacy aspect? How do you want people to know you and understand you? What do I value most in my career or in my leadership? Is it about growth? Is it about recognition, or is it having some flexibility? Or is it making an impact, or is it something else? You get to decide. But what do you value most? And then, personally, what kind of life do you want to create? What is it that is most important to you that you know you want to protect? So spend some time with this. Write down your answers and take a look at them and really think about what is going to be your foundation, because these answers are insights for you and they are benchmarks for you to make decisions that align with who you are and where you're headed.

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So setting intentional priorities is something else that you can consider next. So once you've identified your values, what is important to you, what it is that you're looking to create personally and professionally then connect those values to your current responsibilities. So maybe you pick three Three is not overwhelming. You pick three priorities that are going to guide your decisions every day. So, for instance, if your priorities are team development, maybe innovating with your team, helping to maintain more work-life harmony. You filter your choices through those three lenses.

Speaker 1: 6:40

After that, you have an opportunity to declutter your time and your energy, and here's what I mean by that. So decluttering your time and your energy is because, a lot of times, many leaders stretch themselves too thin. Do you feel? That Is that you, you have competing priorities. You don't know what to focus on first. It can be overwhelming. So I have a method that I share with my audiences and with my clients, called do, delegate and delete, and I'd like you to try that when you think about all the things that are on your plate.

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So create three buckets, and the A bucket, let's say, are the high priority tasks that only you can do. They can't be given to anybody else. These are things that you have to perform. If you lead and say it's performance evaluation time, that's something that you have to perform. If you lead and say it's performance evaluation time, that's something that you have to do. The next bucket is delegate Assigning tasks to team members who are ready to step up right. It's not just getting work off your plate, it's also a professional development tool. Who's ready?

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So it's not just about freeing your time. It's an opportunity to help others grow and then delete, letting go of the tasks that don't align with your priorities. Okay, you can come back, you can revisit them later, but for right now they are off the table. That frees you up to focus on what really matters. But here's the deal when you create these three buckets, you got to run your list and they need to be filled equitably. So if you've got a list of nine things, three can go in the do bucket, three can go in the delegate bucket, three can go in the delete bucket.

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You got to get as close to that equity as you can, because it forces you to make decisions about what is truly important. You know, when your schedule is packed and you've got a lot of distractions, you get stressed and you can fall into a habit of being reactive. But by clearing out the clutter, you're going to have more mental space to think strategically, to prioritize and to lead with more confidence. So not only does it improve your performance, but it also shows the way for your team. It inspires them to operate the same way. Next, you'll want to consider leveraging feedback. You have colleagues, perhaps, that you trust. Maybe you have a mentor, maybe you work with a leadership coach, they can offer you perspectives on what it is that you're trying to do and help you identify your blind spots. So maybe a mentor can help you refine your leadership style or help you weigh in on career decisions in ways that you hadn't thought of, but that would help you to align more closely with your goals.

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So clarity is a journey. It is not a destination. It is not a one and done. I don't think you're ever done, but clarity isn't a set it and forget it. It's an ongoing process. So as your career and life evolve, your goals and your priorities will shift.

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So regularly check in with yourself.

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You know, maybe you do this once a quarter, maybe you do it more frequently, once a month.

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Are your actions and decisions still aligned with what matters most to you? You know if you've started a family, you've gotten married and you've started a family, well, let me tell you things have changed. So start small. Write down three things that you want to prioritize in your leadership and your life. Then take a look at your calendar. Make one small adjustment to reflect those priorities, even just a little bit better. A tiny step like this can help you build more momentum towards greater clarity, personally and professionally, and when you lead with clarity like this, you make better choices, you help to build trust with the people you work with and you create more of an impact, not just for yourself, but it ripples to your team and to your organization. So if you are ready to dive deeper into how clarity can sharpen your leadership skills, then check out my website at wwwdebbypetersonspeakscom. There are resources there for your organization. There are keynotes and consulting programs designed to help leaders just like you achieve clarity, confidence and the next level results that you deserve. So be good to yourself and bye-bye for now.

Speaker 2: 11:12

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Getting to Clarity podcast with Debbie Peterson.

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If you enjoyed this show, please rate and recommend it on iTunes or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

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To learn more about how you can bring Debbie and her transformational clarity leadership strategies to your organization, visit debbepetersonspeakscom.