CLARITY BREAKS

Clarity Breaks: What they are and why you need them! 

Clarity breaks… as I start to write this blog, I’m feeling slightly guilty. Clarity breaks are a prime example of needing to practice what you preach.

Let me explain…

A few weeks ago, I was on the phone with a good friend, and she was saying how she was in a total funk, both in life and in work. She’s also an accountant (more specifically a badass CPA!) so I knew that the onset of tax deadlines was weighing on her. When she was describing her funk – “not sure what’s most important” and “not motivated or excited about anything” – the concept of a clarify break immediately came to mind and my thought was that she needed one. See, the goal of the clarity break is to allow yourself the space to think, digest, and decode what’s happening in your brain.  

As hard-working professionals that also moonlight as a “family member” and “friend” and many other life roles, it’s SO hard to sometimes allow yourself to take the time to just think. Henry Ford once said, “thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” Truth, Henry, truth.  

It’s hard and it’s time consuming but taking the time to think is also tapping into your BIGGEST and BEST resource – your own brain. And I know what you’re thinking… but the other stuff you’re spending time on… the stuff for your business, for your clients, for whatever “role” it is that you’re playing at any given moment… is using your brain, and yes, you are correct. But, what about using your brain for you? What about using your brain to step back, analyze how and on what you’re spending time on? Like, are you spending time on what’s most important? If you keep allocating your time this way, what’s your trajectory? What does your business, family, [fill in the blank] really need right now? What do YOU really need right now to be the best, most effective version of you?  

These are all VERY important questions, and not questions that can be answered while you’re working on a company budget, or sitting with your kid at a doctor’s office, or in a board meeting of that non-profit you so dearly love giving your time to. These are questions you need to give yourself room and space to think about. So, please allow us to introduce: The Clarify Break! 

(Sidenote: although we put our own spin on The Clarity Break, we can’t take credit for it! It’s another one of our secret weapons from the EOS Tool Box!)  

So, to circle back to my opening line… why do I feel guilty writing this? BECAUSE I NEED TO TAKE ONE!😱 There, I said it, it’s out there and I can’t take it back. I haven’t taken my own clarify break in quite some time (like maybe a year) and after thinking about the state of my own brain the last few weeks, I see now it’s desperately needed.  

So, let’s dig in...

How do we take a Clarity Break?  

First and foremost, you gotta set aside some time to do this on your calendar. The time, I promise you, will not just magically appear. I’d recommend starting with 1-2 hours and if you can get out of the office (or whatever your normal daily setting is) that would be ideal. The goal is to remove yourself from the temptation of work and outside communication and just sit with your brain and let it do its magic. The ideal cadence of taking this clarity break will depend on what works best for you; ideally, every week would be amazing, but bi-weekly, monthly, or at minimum quarterly works too.  

Next, grab a pad of paper, your writing tablet, or a laptop (as long as all your programs are closed and your notifications are set to “do not disturb”) and let your thoughts just flooowwwwww out onto the blank page. 

Wait, they aren’t flowing? Okay, no problem. We’ve got some prompter questions for you! If you’re having a hard time getting started, try thinking through some of these questions, and once you get started, don’t be afraid to let your mind wander!  

• Where am I spending my time? Is it effective? Am I the best person to be spending time on this? Does this really need my brain?  
• What process or system is broken? Is it creating work stoppage? What could be gained if it was resolved? Is this a “now” problem? A next quarter problem? Or a kick it down the road problem? Do I need to solve this or can I delegate it to someone else?  
• What’s the most important thing that needs to happen in the next week? Month? Quarter? How am I going to prioritize this? What does “done” look like?  
• After reviewing current and future goals, are they still relevant and reasonable? What needs to happen to achieve them? Or how can they be revised to support a new trajectory? 
• Do I have the right support team in place? Are the people in the right seats? Is anyone being underutilized? Overutilized? Are there any team decisions that need to be made in the next 3-6 months?  
• How often am I working in “flow” and maximizing my time and efforts? How can I minimize distractions to work in “flow” more regularly? 
• What does my personal and mental care routine look like right now? Are there things I could be doing to improve myself? My life quality? How can I set myself up for success and incorporate better routines?  

Once you feel like you’ve emptied the contents of your brain onto the page, take a minute and review. Where you go from here depends on how you work. For me, I go to my calendar. I immediately look at what’s scheduled and considering my new enlightened state I decide what needs to be changed, rescheduled, cancelled, or whatever. This is going to be a very personal part of the process, but the key is to take what you’ve realized and give it a plan and set that plan into motion ASAP.  

And then finally, don’t forget to schedule your next Clarity Break!  

Alright sports fans, that’s all we’ve got for you today! I hope you are heading straight to your calendar to schedule this thing; I promise it will be like a deep tissue massage for your brain!  

Until next time!