115 min
Make the more/less list, today. Two columns: what you want more of in your work, and less of. Kinds of problems, people, scope, recognition. Be concrete, using script 1. "More growth" doesn't count; "more work that involves [X]" does.
Week 2 of 4The Clarity Playbook
Decide where you're going
The read (3 minutes)
Knowing your value answers "what do I bring." Direction answers the harder question: toward what. And here's where most clarity advice gets it backward. It tells you to dream bigger, when the real block is usually the opposite, too many vague options and no way to choose between them. More dreaming makes that worse, not better.
Direction isn't a five-year plan or a title you have to commit to forever. It's two things you can actually name this week: what you want more of and less of, and the next real step from where you stand. That's it. Keep it simple and concise. A direction you can say in one short sentence gives you more clarity than a page full of maybes.
The reason this matters beyond your own head: a direction you can name is the thing that lets other people help you get there. Nobody can open a door for a goal you've never said out loud. This week you narrow, not expand. You're choosing, not brainstorming.
This week's moves
220 min
Name the next real step. Not the dream title. The next move from where you are now. Phrase it as a direction with script 2, then run it through the "so that" check in script 3.
310 min
Write the one-year line. Two sentences on where you want to be in a year, built from the more/less list. Use script 4. Present-tense, specific, yours.
Script bank
Word for word, ready to use. Edit any script to make it yours, then copy it.
1.The more/less line
"More: [specific]. Less: [specific]." Force the specifics. Not "more leadership," but "more owning a project end to end."
2.The next-step line
"My next step is [role, scope, or skill], not [the vague version]." Example: "My next step is owning a launch start to finish, not just a bigger title."
3.The "so that" check
Add "so that..." to your direction and try to finish it. "I want to move into [X] so that [what it gives you]." If you can't finish the sentence, the direction isn't clear yet, and that's useful to know now.
4.The one-year line
"In a year, I want to be [doing, known for, or working on X]." Two sentences, no more. Built from your more/less list, not from thin air.
5.The "what are you looking for" answer
When someone asks: "I'm focused on [direction]. The kind of thing I'm looking for is [specific]." Say it once, then stop.
Friday debrief prompts
Your Friday email carries the reply template. These are the prompts inside it.
- What surprised you on the "less" column?
- Could you finish the "so that" sentence? If not, what's missing?
- Your next real step, in one line.
Your self-score: Week 2
Score each statement from 1 (not true) to 5 (true).
Re-entry note
Missed week 1? Don't go back. Do this week's move 1 and 2, then borrow week 1's move 1 (the value inventory) over the weekend. You'll want it for week 3.