Welcome to the CLEAR Purpose. The weekly newsletter is designed to make it easy for entrepreneurs to build their businesses and lives.
Three core practices form the foundation of my writing and teaching.
1 C.L.E.A.R. Purpose.
It’s not enough to have a “good” reason to pursue something in business or life; there needs to be clarity and alignment. Sometimes that shows up instantly and with clarity. Other times we have a million thoughts and directions and concepts and possibilities.
C.L.E.A.R. is a tool that you’ll come to know and use to get rid of the noise, clear the clutter, and listen to your inner guide.
Cause.
Love.
Energy.
Aptitude
Return
2 QUESTions
“A long or arduous search for something.” A QUESTion is meant to send us on an exploration or a mission. It’s designed to help us go deep instead of remaining on the surface.
3 The Transformation Equation
Information + Installation (Implementation) = transformation. One of the biggest challenges for creative entrepreneurs is that we love to learn and apply. But we often find that following an author’s instructions doesn’t deliver the same results.
As entrepreneurs, we can have more ideas than we could ever know what to do with. I’d encourage you to keep them ALL.
Write them down. Secure them. List them. Shape them. Keep coming back to them.
The key is knowing when to act on them. Which ones should make it into the daylight, and which should remain in the shadows?
C.L.E.A.R. Purpose
Using C.L.E.A.R. Purpose has been a help and an advantage to my work and life. Here’s the brief breakdown…
Cause
We’re drawn to causes. A person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition. A principle, aim, or movement that, because of a deep commitment, one is prepared to defend or advocate.
QUESTion: Is this idea a cause or simply something that’s nice to think about? List all the reasons this idea MUST be shared or sold.
Love
“An intense feeling of deep affection.” We don’t usually use that definition in business except on the surface. “I love that idea!”
However, when you have deep affection, you do things that aren’t normal. You get a little reckless. You take more risks. You would rather embarrass yourself for true love than always wonder what could have been.
QUESTion: Do you deeply love your idea to the point of embarrassing pursuit?
Energy
This is your personal power and the way you empower others. We might say, “Every time I am around Susan, I get excited. Her positivity is contagious.” Your ideas should energize you and others.
QUESTions: Does this idea energize you? Can you see yourself transferring that energy to others for the next ten years? Or is this meant only for a short time?
Aptitude
This can be a natural or trained ability. An experience or skilled strength. It can be easy to see a popular digital product and think, “I should release something like that!” It’s easy to get drawn in my an influencer’s personality and feel you should follow the same path.
That product is someone’s aptitude. That personality is their aptitude.
QUESTion: What is my great strength in terms of delivery? What would I hire myself to do before anyone else?
Return
Return on investment needs to be estimated. If you dedicate yourself to this process…. Creating a new subscription, launching a new business, building a new body… What do you receive from it? What is your return?
How much do you need to invest in terms of time, focus, attention, resources, and money? Will it be worth it in the long run? If this idea is never seen by anyone, is it still worth pursuing for your sake?
QUESTion: When I fully commit to this idea, what is the return most likely to be?