Personal Clarity and Strategic Abandonment

Strategic abandonment is a serious life/business strategy that can help you gain personal clarity I feel.

I discovered it from one of my mentors in the network marketing industry a few years ago, who happens to also be successful in traditional franchise business/real estate investing and online businesses.

He mentioned this phrase to me few years ago and I have never forgotten it but apparently never fully implemented it.

I’ve found recently it’s been more important than ever to gain personal clarity considering the changes I’ve gone through professionally & personally over the past year and strategic abandonment played a key role.

There came a time when I looked up and found myself overwhelmed with idea’s and projects that I felt could all be the next big thing.

Then I looked up and figured out that all I was doing was burning the candle at both ends.

Not Cool.

The Monkey Business Of Project Abandonment

It’s almost like the monkey that can’t get his hand out of a jar because of the prize inside that he refuses to let go of, therefore trapping his hand in the Jar!

The monkey ends up extremely frustrated, caught in a trap and eventually captured.

Had the monkey had the ability to rationalize and gain personal clarity about what was more important, (letting go or getting away) he wouldn’t have been captured.

Fortunately we’re not monkeys and we can rationalize as well as trap into the deeper drivers we have called emotions.

It’s always wise to have a strategic abandonment plan in place to let go of some (if not all) the idea’s or projects that aren’t contributing to the end result you really desire and that support your highest values.

There’s a reason you’re not strategically abandoning projects that don’t serve you. It’s because many times it’s an emotional reason and not a logical reason.

Getting Rid Of the Monkey And Finding Personal Clarity

When you can tap into the logical and emotional aspects of why you want an outcome then you have a much better chance at gaining it. When accessing your highest values along with a strong emotional reason why, you aid yourself greatly.

So here are 7 steps to identifying what’s important to you and how to follow through on the result:

1. Right now what is the end result you’re looking for? (Hint, make sure it aligns with your top 4 or 5 values)
2. What kind of time frame are you looking to get the result?
3. How will you know you’ve achieved the result?
4. What are the benefits of obtaining the result? (and the consequences if you don’t?)
5. What are the top 1, 2 or possibly 3 projects that will help you obtain that end result and that can fit your deadline.
6. Be sure to prioritize the projects that you are passionate about and believe in the most, therefore making the journey that much more enjoyable and rewarding while still accomplishing your end result.
7. Drop everything else and work on those top 3! (At least for the time being) or turn those “other” projects over to someone who you trust that can take on the majority of the work load.

These 7 steps can allow you to accomplish what’s truly important to you while abandoning all the stuff that isn’t. At least for the time being.

One of the keys to personal clarity is really identifying what emotionally drives you.

This is why having a higher awareness of your values is so important because every decision you make, such as the questions you ask yourself, are driven by what you value most. This is where personal clarity is born from.

It goes without saying maybe but opportunity can actually be an overwhelming thing if you’re not prepared for it. I have lots of ideas myself but also get approached about a lot of opportunities. It can be easy to find yourself with way too much on your plate (and 80% of it isn’t even important to you)

How do I deal with it?

The Monkey That Said No

My biggest asset has been “NO.”

That’s right, just saying no to new projects or to other people wanting to load projects on my plate has been very satisfying because I know what is important to me and what drives me.

“If you don’t know where you’re going any old way will get you there.”

A little planning goes a long way and right now these 7 steps can help you gain personal clarity so that your focus is on what’s truly important and fulfilling.

What about you?

Have you ever found yourself in your personal life or business life with too many projects or your plate or projects that weren’t really important to begin with but somehow seemed to be?

How did you handle it?

Saying yes to personal clarity is also saying no to what isn’t important.