#72: Clarity

A BRIEF MEDITATION

Watch the sunrise in Darjeeling, India break through the horizon. The sun's journey across the sky reveals new angles of the clouds above.

Similarly, the process of writing can help you dissolve the darkness of inertia and confusion.

Each sentence is a step forward, illuminating your path toward a more profound understanding, reducing any daunting challenge to a beautiful realization.

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MANTRA BREAKDOWN

Think of a complex challenge you're facing.

When we don't have clarity, we see it as a massive jigsaw puzzle with hundreds of tiny pieces. Your brain has no way of making sense of the pieces. The cognitive burden is too high.

Writing is your puzzle-solving table. As you write, you begin sorting the puzzle pieces into groups, focusing on one section at a time. You start with the puzzle edges, finding the boundaries of the problem, and gradually working your way toward the center.

With each written word, your focus clears the way ahead.

Somewhere along the path, something just clicks. You get a spectacular flash of clarity. The clarity fuels your next action.

The trust in your ability to figure it out strengthens every time you go through this process. But now, it begins with a beautiful blank space and the courage to write down your first messy thought.

BETTER THINKING

• "Writing is the way we think our way into a subject and make it our own." – William Zinsser

• "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see, and what it means. What I want and what I fear." – Joan Didion

• "Writing allows us to wrestle with our thoughts and problems on paper, and in doing so, we often find the solutions we seek." – Steve Silberman

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3 UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS TO UNLOCK CLARITY AT WORK (OR IN SCHOOL)

Challenges are an inherent part of the journey at work. A curveball can throw off the most thoughtful plans. Or, if you're trying something new, every shaky step forward can feel like a complete leap of faith.

No matter the reason you feel challenged, putting pen to paper can help you think more clearly. Here are 3 unconventional ways to zoom out and tap into your creative intelligence:

Use metaphors to explore a new perspective.

Compare the challenge you're facing in your project to unrelated concepts, objects, or natural phenomena. Consider what rings true in the metaphor, and apply it to your situation.

EXAMPLE: Let's say you're developing a marketing strategy for a product with declining sales. Consider the analogy of reviving a campfire. How might you carefully add oxygen and tend to it strategically? Perhaps you're driven to create marketing campaigns that kindle curiosity and breathe engagement into your newest features.

If no analogies come to mind, use AskAI to suggest metaphors for the challenge you're facing!

Embrace using mind mapping to zoom out and see patterns.

Start by visually representing your challenge with a mind map, linking related concepts and ideas with just a few words.

EXAMPLE: You're conducting research for a report you're writing. Construct a mind map to organize all of the various research components (research questions, theories, data sources, etc), revealing what elements are connected and eliminating what's unnecessary.

This will provide immense clarity in what to focus on and the underlying structure.

Write a letter to your future self to unlock a wellspring of wisdom.

Describe your current business challenge and ask your future self for advice. (Try your future self one year from today.) This imaginative exercise can help you step outside your current perspective and think long-term.

EXAMPLE: As a project manager, you're dealing with a team conflict that's impacting progress. You go into detail in your letter, describing the team conflict in detail and asking for guidance.

The process of writing to yourself far in the future helps you step outside the immediate tension and think about the enduring cohesion of the team. With space to reflect, your future self may guide you to focus on sustainable strategies that promote open communication and maintain a collaborative environment.

HOW TO START

Identify a challenge you're facing at work or in school. Consider what outcome you're looking for (e.g., create a project plan, a revamped approach for attracting new business, an original perspective for an essay, etc.) Set your Pomodoro timer for 30 minutes to try out one of the strategies above!

MOMENTUM TIP OF THE WEEK

Being "in flow" is a fantastic feeling.

When we find our flow state, things just click. Connections want to be made. Ideas produce more ideas. But without any structure, our notes can quickly lose their clarity.

Momentum Notes strikes the perfect balance of being simple enough to use... yet powerful enough to help you organize complex thoughts.

With cross-linking, you can freeze the evolution of your thoughts, identify patterns, and get super clear on your most promising ideas and their unexpected connections.

LINK OF THE WEEK

Tim Ferriss credits much of his success to his ability to write. Yes, he's a writer, but it's actually much deeper than that.

Improving his writing has led him to think more sharply and clearly about everything across the board. It's the ultimate mental upgrade.

If you're interested in improving the way you think, watch this 6-minute video. Ferriss outlines the simple steps you can take to level up your writing (particularly how to edit – the pivotal step that clarifies your thinking!)

IT’S ALL GOOD (NEWS)

Here are a few stories that may spark curiosity and wonder. ✨

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