The "C" in the CREATE Framework

Hey y'all!

In the last email, I introduced you to the Create Framework. You can catch that email here for those who might have missed it.

However, the general gist was that the C-R-E-A-T-E model is a step-by-step framework I created for Create and Go to help guide aspiring creators in building and scaling a sustainable business.

Each letter represents a crucial element in growing your creator business and ties back to the six pillars of a creator business:

Clarity: What area or space is worth working in for you? What matters most to you right now?
Relevance: What projects or products are you working on? How are they related to your goals and mission?
Expression: How are you showing your work on your project or problem? What content are you sharing around it?
Audience: How are you connecting with your people? What’s your plan for interacting with your audience?
Transaction/Trade: How are you providing value and monetizing? What are you offering?
Expand/Efficiency: How are you scaling and improving your systems? What steps are you taking to grow efficiently?

So in today's email, we're going to specifically focus on Clarity, why it's so important, and how you can go about getting some well-needed clarity for yourself.

Of the people who voted on the last email, 44% of you said that this was something you struggle with, so if you're one of those people you're DEFINITELY not alone.

Today's email will serve as a workshop to help you get clarity so you can move forward working on the right things.

Why Does Clarity Matter?

Clarity matters because it's the foundation for everything else. Without clarity, you're just spinning your wheels, wasting time and energy on stuff that doesn't move the needle.

Think about it: How many times have you started a project or pursued a goal, only to realize halfway through that it's not really what you want? Or worse, you finish it and feel empty because it didn't align with your values or long-term vision?

That's the cost of lack of clarity.

It's not just about wasted effort - it's about opportunity cost. Every minute you spend on the wrong things is a minute you're not spending on the right things.

Clarity acts like a filter.

It helps you say "no" to distractions and "yes" to opportunities that align with your goals. It's the difference between busy work and meaningful progress.

But clarity isn't just some static thing you achieve once. It's an ongoing process. As you grow and change, so do your priorities and goals. That's why it's crucial to regularly check in with yourself and reassess.

When we talk about clarity, it's important to note that in a way, we're talking about focus. They're two sides of the same coin.

Focus without clarity is like trying to drive a car fast without knowing where you're going. You might be putting in a ton of effort, but you're not necessarily making meaningful progress.

In practice, focus and clarity are about making deliberate choices with your time and energy. It's saying no to the good to make room for the great. It's about being intentional with your day, knitting those hours together into something meaningful, rather than just reacting to whatever comes your way.

With focus, comes clarity, and with clarity comes focus.

Have you ever focused on something blurry for it to eventually become clear?

Our brains are wired to focus on what we tell them to. This is called cognitive bias. Once you’re aware of something, you start noticing it everywhere.

Like when you’re thinking about buying a certain car and suddenly you see that model all over the road.

You became clear on the car you wanted, and so now your brain is focusing on that car amongst the others in the street.

Our brains are constantly filtering information, and what we choose to focus on shapes our reality.

This is why clarity is so powerful.

When you’re clear on what you want, your brain starts unconsciously aligning your actions and decisions with that vision. You start noticing opportunities you might have missed before. It’s like you’re programming your internal GPS.

With clarity, you can be sure that you’re taking your creator business in the right direction.

How Do We Achieve Clarity?

First and foremost, it’s important to know that you don’t have to have it ALL figured out. Oftentimes, we just need enough clarity to have a North Star we can head towards, but it won’t be until we begin taking steps that the path becomes crystal clear.

Today’s clarity workshop is focused on finding that North Star. 🌟

There is one singular question I like to keep in mind whenever I am looking for clarity.

“What’s worth doing even if I fail?”

You should ask yourself this same question: “Even if I fail, I would still pursue ____ because ____.”

Example for me: “Even if I fail, I would still pursue creating educational content about being a creator because I believe the creator economy is the future and becoming a professional creator can transform your life.”

When you have the answer to this question, you can dig even deeper by journaling on questions like:

How does this align with my values?
What impact would this have on others?
How does this challenge or excite me?
What would my life look like if I succeeded at this?
What would my life be like if I never tried?

Another way to find clarity is to pay attention to what captivates you when you’re procrastinating. What rabbit holes do you fall into?

Exercise: Spend 15 minutes listing activities you engage in when procrastinating. Look for patterns.

Template: “When I procrastinate, I often find myself ____. This might indicate an interest in ____.”

If you're still having difficulty, that's okay!

Remember, MOST people move through their lives with very little clarity. It can be quite difficult to find it in a world full of noise. Not only that, it's often difficult for us to see ourselves without bias when we're constantly subjecting ourselves to our own internal dialogue that is often inaccurate.

This is where leaning on other people can help because others often see us in a much better light than we see ourselves. We're usually our own worst critic (at least I know I can be).

Exercise: Ask 5 people you're close to what they think you’re exceptionally good at and note any recurring themes.

Template: You could send something to these people along the lines of "Could you take a moment to answer these two questions for me?

Is there anything you think I’m exceptionally good at?
Have you ever noticed that I have a particularly strong interest in any one subject?

Lastly, you can leverage your own specific knowledge.

Exercise: Create a bullet point brain dump timeline of your life experiences, noting unique skills or insights gained. Don't worry about whether you think it "matters" or not, just list it. Once you have your list, you can copy and paste it into ChatGPT and ask: "Based on this list, what do you think my unique combination of skills and experiences gives me a special perspective on?"

You can also ask the same question by adding any of the other exercises to ChatGPT as well. You might be very surprised at how excellent the answers you receive are.

Now what about if none of these help you get the clarity you're looking for?

Struggling with Clarity

If you're struggling to find clarity even after these exercises, then it might be time to deepen your self-reflection. These are a few of my favorite exercises when I'm struggling.

A Digital Detox

Exercise: Set up a screen time limit on your phone for 48-72 hours.

Most of our issues with clarity don't come from a lack of information, but an abundance of it. Sometimes taking a step back from your phone, taking in new information, scrolling, and all the other ways we distract ourselves with our devices can be the cure we need.

Physical and Digital Decluttering

Exercise: KonMari Challenge - Declutter one physical and one digital space that you feel overwhelmed by or have been putting off.

Note what things you choose to keep in your space. Often when we take the time to clean our spaces from all the clutter we have accumulated, what's left over can tell us a lot about what matters to us.

Journaling Practice

Exercise: Commit to morning pages for one week. Write three three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing first thing in the morning. It’s like taking out the mental trash and often leads to unexpected insights.

Final notes

Remember, clarity isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions and being willing to sit with uncertainty.

It’s a practice, not a destination.

So start small, be patient with yourself, and trust the process. Your future self will thank you for the clarity you’re cultivating now.

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