Clarity. We hear that word bandied about a lot, but, really, do we know what it means? And how does this mysterious clarity affect our lives?

What is clarity?

Merriam-Webster defines clarity as “the quality or state of being clear.” To have clarity is to have a clear sense of who we are. It’s to be in the driver’s seat of our life and know where we’re going. It’s about our awareness and our concept of self. It’s about seeing things as they are, not as we want or imagine them to be.

Is any of this ringing any bells with you?

The Importance of Clarity

A lack of clarity can result in an unsettled mind. You become distracted or confused and you lose sight of who you really are. And it certainly helps to know where we are in life and where we want to go (and I’m not talking about going to the mall or the grocery store). Obviously, it goes deeper than that. I mean where we want to go in life; what we want for our future selves which, in turn, determines our legacy.

Without a sense of clarity, we’re trapped in a fog. We may make the wrong decisions, we might be confused, or we move through life with no real sense of purpose.

Clarity is the internal compass we need to successfully navigate life.

Navigating Your Journey

Imagine setting out on a journey to hike The Pacific Coast Trail. I make reference to this because a couple of years ago I read “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed. It’s the true story of a woman on a journey to find herself . . . perhaps much like you right now. I was captivated by Cheryl’s decision to strike out solo on a path of exploration. Her steps — each and every one — took a lot of courage.

Okay, so you’ve got your hiking paraphernalia – boots, socks, water purification doohickey, first aid kit, extra clothes, sun glasses and sun screen – and now you’re ready to go. So you start walking. You’re walking for hours on end when you realize you’ve passed the same stand of trees at least three times.

What’s wrong with this picture? Something’s missing.

It’s your compass. Your GPS system. Do you know how difficult it is to try and navigate in the wild if you aren’t equipped with the right tools?

Wandering around in the wilderness is much like your life. You don’t want to meander through life, spinning your wheels and getting nowhere, do you? You need to be clear. You need to know where you’re going, or at least know the path that you’re on. You need clarity.

Having clarity is more than just a buzzword or the phrase du jour. It’s essential to our lives.

Your Moment of Clarity

Perhaps you’ve experienced your moment of midlife clarity already. It’s that almost indescribable thing that clicked for you one day. Out of the blue, you were hit by this epiphanous insight and suddenly felt that your life wasn’t the horrible Greek tragedy that you made it out to be. It was the moment that your eyes were opened and the blinders had come off. And whether you realized it or not, that ‘sudden’ moment of lucidity didn’t just appear; there were forces working in the background, in your subconscious, leading you to clarity.

You realized you were living a compromised experience. But now? Oh girl, now you’re golden.

Having clarity is an empowering feeling. You understand yourself a little better. You have a roadmap. True, you may stray from that path from time to time, but you have the blueprint for where you want to end up.

That can lead to your reawakening. Perhaps you’ve finally admitted to yourself that your career isn’t what you really want to do with the rest of your life. Or your 35-year marriage has stifled the real you. Or the voice you thought you lost years ago has reemerged.

You are clear. You’re not bound by the limitations of others – not even yourself. You’re ready to live life on your terms. Your clarity comes in many forms:

• Clarity as it relates to your job
• Clarity in your relationships
• Clarity about your life’s purpose
• Clarity about your health

How to Gain Clarity

For many, gaining clarity comes after moments of soul searching and introspective thinking. They go deep inside themselves and ask questions that they never asked before – the whos, whats and whys of their life. Probably even more important than the questions are the actions to take. Our actions are what lead to change.

Here are a few things you can do to help you gain clarity:

• Take responsibility for the woman you have become and the woman you want to become. And know that you’re doing it for You’re creating the life that you want, not a life dictated by others.

• Be honest with yourself. Ask yourself, “What’s working in my life and what isn’t working?” Ask yourself, “What brings me joy and what makes me sad?” Ask yourself, “Am I really happy? Write everything down.

• Identify your “why.” Why is your life out of whack? Why do you want things to change? Again, write everything down.

• Before you ask yourself what it is you want, tell yourself what you don’t Know what your hard stops are, such as, “I don’t want toxic people in my life,” or “I don’t want to stop learning and growing.” Identifying the things you don’t want can be a powerful and empowering tool that allows your subconscious to soak up those negatives and to eliminate them from your internal file cabinet. I’m gonna be a broken record here but write it down.

• Make a list (yeah, that’d be writing it down) of personal mantras.

• Shut down that Negative Nancy in your head. That voice inside your head can be your biggest hurdle. Don’t let her keep you stuck in life.

• Create a vision board.

• Take action. Explore new possibilities. You can sit around all day and night thinking about what you want in life, but thought without action is daydreaming.

• Take care of yourself. Listen to your body. Take a break when you need to. Eat healthy foods. Don’t binge drink. Exercise your body as well as your mind.

• If you can’t navigate the journey solo, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

When you’re trying to gain clarity, you may have your work cut out for you. It takes time to bring the fuzzy parts of your life into focus. On the upside, you’ll be playing an active role in getting clear on what’s important to you, and the things you need to do to live in your clarity.