August 4, 2025 • 30 mins
Ever found yourself trapped in a cycle of endless analysis with no forward movement? You're not alone. The space between knowing what to do and actually doing it is where many helpers get stuck—and it's costing us our effectiveness and wellbeing.
The connection between clarity and action represents the essential bridge in our work as helping professionals. While we excel at seeking understanding—about our clients' needs, ethical dilemmas, therapeutic approaches—clarity alone creates no change. Without translating our insights into tangible steps, even the most profound understanding remains theoretical, benefiting no one.
This clarity-action relationship operates as a powerful feedback loop. Clarity naturally fuels more decisive action, but what's often overlooked is how action itself generates further clarity. You don't need 100% certainty before taking a step forward—sometimes that small, calculated action provides exactly the feedback needed to refine your approach. For overthinking helpers, this perspective shift is liberating.
What breaks this vital link? Fear of failure and judgment often paralyze us, making us hesitate when we should move forward. Perfectionism keeps us waiting for ideal conditions that never arrive. Even with overall understanding, uncertainty about the precise next step can halt progress. Most fundamentally, a lack of psychological safety—feeling unsafe to take risks—undermines our ability to act.
Strengthen your clarity-action bridge by defining the smallest possible next step, embracing the 80% rule (recognizing that partial clarity is enough to begin), creating psychological safety for yourself, implementing time blocking, developing a bias toward action, and connecting each step to your deeper purpose. These practical strategies transform overwhelming situations into manageable forward movement.
Ready to break free from analysis paralysis? Visit souljoypodcast.com for weekly activities designed to help you build momentum in your practice and prevent burnout. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and join a community of helpers who are learning to balance clarity with courageous action.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey y'all, this is Dr Julie Merriman, and welcome to
SoulJoy.
Today we continue exploring,balancing the third eye chakra,
by talking about a powerfuldynamic that underpins a
successful practice, the crucialconnection between clarity and
(00:28):
action, because, y'all this is avery necessary component of
holistic, sustainable self-care.
All right, all right, all right, welcome.
I am so glad that y'all poppedin to join me for just a hot
minute today.
So I always start with just alittle home chat, and right now
(00:48):
what's on my mind is a funweekend we've got planned with
Blakers, our youngest son, andNicole, his lovely wife.
We're going to check outMcKinney when it's I mean, my
husband's from Plano, soMcKinney really isn't a.
That's his stomping groundsgrowing up.
But what we're checking out isa little community called the
(01:09):
Adriatic Village.
My daughter-in-law found this.
It's like a little slice ofItaly right there in McKinney,
texas.
And then we're going to checkout Wilson's Creek.
That's where my husband'sgrandmother grew up.
Of course, the homestead isn'tthere anymore, it's walking
trails and such, but it'd bekind of fun to check out where
she rode her horse and such backin the early 1900s.
(01:31):
So anyway, I think it's goingto be a fun weekend and I'm
tickled to get to spend it withmy kiddos.
So that's what's going on, well, and my husband.
That's what's going on at theMerriman Compound this week.
Okay, professional helpers, thispodcast is dedicated to
preventing and overcomingoccupational hazards of this
(01:51):
amazing career that we've chosen, and those hazards are burnout,
compassion, fatigue andvicarious trauma.
So, as helping professionals,we are inherently seekers of
clarity Clarity about ourclients' needs, clarity about
ethical dilemmas, clarity aboutour therapeutic approach and
(02:14):
clarity about our ownprofessional purpose.
Right, we spend countless hoursstriving for insight, for
understanding and for a clearpath forward.
I mean, that's part of what wedo.
But clarity in and of itself isonly half the equation.
(02:36):
What that's right?
That's only half the equation.
The other, equally vital, halfis action.
Clarity without action is awaste of time.
Think about it.
(02:56):
You might have the mostprofound insight into a client's
core issue, but if you don'ttranslate that into a
therapeutic intervention, areferral or a shift in approach,
the insight remains theoretical.
You might have a perfectlyclear understanding of a
(03:18):
systemic problem, but withouttaking steps to advocate or
collaborate, that understandingwon't, cannot lead to change.
So today we'll explore why it'sthis connection that is so
critical.
(03:38):
What often breaks the linkbetween clarity and action.
We're going to explore that andhow we can strengthen this
bridge to become more impactful,less overwhelmed and truly
effective in our roles.
So let's define these terms inour context, okay.
(04:00):
So clarity this is about knowingwhat you need to do right.
You're clear on it, you knowwhy you need to do it and how
you might do it.
It's the precision ofunderstanding, the sharp focus
y'all on the goal and the clearidentification of the path.
(04:25):
And to do this it involvescognitive clarity understanding
the concepts, problems,solutions.
It involves emotional clarityunderstanding your own and
others' feelings and how theyimpact the situation.
And I mean for us, that's rich.
There's a lot there, Not onlybecause it's eminently important
(04:49):
to help our clients explorethat and lead to that, but it's
eminently important as well,y'all, for us to explore our own
.
We don't need to be apsychotherapist sitting in an
office who's never taken thetime to explore their own
emotions and how things you know, how life has impacted us.
So emotional clarity is reallyimportant and purposeful clarity
(05:16):
knowing your why, your values,mission and the desire to
outcome that's important.
Mission and the desire tooutcome, that's important.
But action, on the other hand,is the tangible step right, it's
the in our world.
(05:36):
The treatment plan, right, thesmart treatment plan.
You know, the specific,measurable, attainable.
I mean the smart treatment plan.
But okay, so action is thetangible step, the forward
movement, the implementation ofthat understanding.
(05:57):
It's the difference betweenknowing what needs to be done
and actually doing it.
What needs to be done andactually doing it.
And action can be y'all.
It can be a direct interventionwith your client, it can be a
conversation with a colleague orsupervisor, maybe it's a policy
proposal, maybe a self-careboundary that you implement, or
(06:21):
perhaps a moment of mindfulpresence.
The relationship betweenclarity and action is symbiotic
and bidirectional.
Okay, y'all.
Clarity fuels action.
When you have a clear pictureof the problem and potential
(06:44):
solutions, you're more likely totake decisive steps.
Ambiguity and there's a lot ofit in this field, there's a lot
of gray areas.
But for the sake of thisdiscussion, ambiguity breeds
paralysis of this discussion.
Ambiguity breeds paralysis.
(07:04):
If you're unsure of your roleor the next step, an action is
often the default, and thatparalysis can feel awful.
Action refines clarity.
This is the oftenunderestimated part.
You don't always need 100%clarity before you act.
(07:27):
In fact, that's sometimes hardto get to.
Sometimes, taking a small,calculated action is precisely
what generates further clarity.
It allows you to test ahypothesis, to gather new
information and to adjust yourunderstanding.
(07:47):
That is so true.
I can't tell you how many timesI've launched a website.
And well, the very first one Iwas in analysis paralysis and I
wasn't putting it out therebecause it wasn't perfect.
But now I don't even thinkabout it.
I have clarity about what Iwant to happen.
But that action of actuallyputting it up and then coming
(08:10):
back and looking at it andrefining really helps me Y'all.
It's like a feedback loop youact, you learn, you gain more
clarity and then you can takemore informed action.
So why is this connection socritical for professional
(08:35):
helpers?
Well, client progress.
Let's explore that Y'all.
Our clients need us to be clearand decisive.
While we empower our clients toact, our own clear actions,
such as structuring a session,providing specific resources,
making ethical decisions thisprovides the framework for their
(08:59):
progress.
I mean, that's the science ofwhat we do, along with our
theories.
Also, overcoming overwhelm whenwe are operating with this
connection with clarity andaction, this helps to overcome
(09:21):
overwhelm.
Our work is often complex andfeeling overwhelmed frequently
stems y'all from having a lot ofclarity about problems, but a
lack of clarity on the nextaction step.
I see this with my students asthey're learning this counseling
process and I can't tell youhow often when we're in
(09:45):
supervision they talk about thisoverwhelm.
But it happens because theydon't have that pattern of
information from so manysessions having been done that
they've created a clarity of thenext step.
But I think this can get ineven for us seasoned folks.
I think this can get in the waywhen we forget exactly how
(10:08):
important clarity and action arein connection.
That next step is veryimportant.
Okay, I'm clear about this.
Now, what?
Breaking down complexsituations into small,
actionable tasks helps us toreduce overwhelm.
(10:32):
We want to prevent analysisparalysis, as I spoke about a
moment ago with the website.
Yeah, we are thinkers.
That's what we are trained todo.
We're trained analyzers, we'retrained empathizers, and this
can lead to getting stuck inendless deliberation, constantly
seeking more information orwaiting for the perfect solution
(10:56):
that doesn't exist.
Paralysis, where claritybecomes a trap rather than a
springboard.
Okay, so, yeah, yeah, thinkabout that when we get into
paralysis this analysisparalysis it's a trap and it
(11:21):
doesn't help us to move forward.
So we have to just make peacethat it might not be perfect,
but we're going to put it outthere, we're going to try this,
we're going to make this actionhappen instead of just sitting
and spiraling.
And next, we have to considerbuilding confidence and
(11:42):
self-trust.
Each time you translate clarityinto effective action, you
build a deeper sense ofcompetence and self-trust, you
prove to yourself that yourinsights are valid and that you
can translate them intomeaningful impact.
(12:02):
So, y'all, what often breaksthis vital link and how can we,
as professional helpers, ashumans, strengthen this?
Okay, so in my research andanalysis, I didn't get into
paralysis, but I did analyze.
I came up with some commonbarriers to action, despite we
(12:26):
might have clarity.
So the first is fear of failure, fear of making that mistake.
We're afraid of getting itwrong, especially with high
stakes, and I have a wholepodcast on my belief about
mistakes.
I think mistakes, our societydoes not embrace mistakes like
we should, and I don't believethere are failures or mistakes.
(12:48):
I think if we approach it withour frontal lobe, fully engaged,
we can see that this is abeautiful learning experience
that, had we not made thatmistake, would never have had
the opportunity to learn.
The other, or another bulletpoint I found is fear of
(13:12):
criticism or judgment, and thishappens a lot.
What will others think if thisaction doesn't work out?
That's where shame,embarrassment, things from our
inner child that perhaps isn'thealed will come up and really
slap us in the face.
And listen to last week'sepisode, not last week's, it
(13:34):
would be episode 17, I believethat I did on inner child work.
It might've been 18.
Anyway, it's in the episodes,but inner child work is very
important as we're trying to getto this point of clarity
connecting to action.
The next bullet point isperfectionism.
(13:55):
We're waiting for that idealmoment or the flawless plan,
like my website that I sat onfor probably six months once
upon a time, no more, and I'vehad numerous websites since then
.
I put that bad boy up there andmake some improvements as I go
back and look at it, butperfectionism, it doesn't happen
(14:16):
.
There's not going to be aflawless plan.
Next bullet point unclear nextstep.
Even with overall clarity, thevery next micro action isn't
always obvious and that's wherewe seek supervision, that's
(14:37):
where we join in masterminds,that's where we're in some maybe
Facebook groups with otherprofessional helpers, where we
can get a bigger picture of whatnext steps might look like.
We continue to train 30 yearsin I'm still going to trainings
(14:57):
and learning because I'm neverdone and to get clarity of what
that next step might be.
Continuous training is veryhelpful might be continuous
training is very helpful.
The next bullet point is lack ofpsychological safety.
That's y'all, y'all.
That's when you feel unsafe totake risks or make decisions,
(15:21):
and that's something I reallytry to instill in my students
and my supervisees.
I want us, I want all of us, Iwant my students, I want my
supervisees to feel very safe tomake a mistake, because we're
going to, because when we feelsafe to make a mistake, y'all,
we're going to take that risk,we're going to go ahead and make
(15:41):
those decisions and we're goingto grow in those efforts.
So those are some bullet pointsI came up with and I also
looked at some strategies tostrengthen the clarity action
bridge.
Right, think of it as a bridgeyou're building.
Here's the clarity.
I've got to cross this bridgeinto action.
(16:02):
So you want to define the next,smallest action.
If a task feels overwhelming,don't focus on the end goal.
Ask yourself what's theabsolute, smallest, easiest step
I can take right now.
This reduces the barrier toentry and it helps you build
(16:26):
momentum.
What might might?
I can't talk.
What might that look like,jules?
Well, so instead of develop anew treatment plan, think open
the client's file, right.
You can read what's in thereand you're going to get inspired
as you're reading through yournotes, reading through the last
(16:48):
treatment plan, reading throughprogress.
It's the absolute smallest,easiest step to build momentum.
I'm talking about in yourtherapy office, but you can also
do that at home.
I mean, what we're talkingabout here works in your
professional and private lives.
(17:12):
Next, you want to embrace the80% rule.
I know you've heard of this.
Do not wait for 100% clarity.
Often y'all that 80% clarity isenough to take that first
informed action.
The remaining 20% will likelyreveal itself through that
(17:33):
action.
This is about being actionoriented, not perfection
oriented.
Perfection oriented is it's anawful place to be.
Don't do that to yourself.
Move to action oriented.
Next, you want to cultivate thepsychological safety for
(17:54):
yourself.
You want to create an internalenvironment where it's okay to
try, it's okay to learn and evengive yourself permission to
make mistakes.
It's going to happen.
You've got to remind yourselfthat action isn't about being
flawless.
Action is about learning andadapting.
(18:19):
This also extends to seekingsupportive supervision.
This also extends to seekingsupportive supervision, peer
consultation, where it's safe todebrief your actions so
valuable.
I can remember a time I was in acouple session and I just kind
of froze up.
Something about what the couplewas doing triggered something
(18:46):
inside me.
Now I was able to get myselfback together and in the session
and, you know, move forward.
But fortunately in that momentand it could be when we look at
giving yourself permission youknow that psychological safety.
I had done that for myself andfortunately I was in a group
practice and a colleague had hada no-show and I was able to
(19:08):
walk across the hallway andreceive peer consultation in
that moment and understand whathad happened.
The couple began kind ofsparring with each other and
y'all know couples work can betricky, but they began kind of
sparring with each other andy'all know couples work can be
tricky, but they began kind ofsparring with each other.
That triggered something likemy mom and dad had done.
So my eight-year-old Julieshowed up in the office and
(19:33):
through that peer consultation Iwas able to reach an
understanding about that.
That helped me tremendously inmy other sessions with couples.
But had I not given myself thatpsychological safety, to admit
man, something didn't feel rightabout that and go across the
hallway and talk with mycolleague I wouldn't have grown.
(19:55):
The next thing you want to lookat is time blocking and
prioritization.
Even a clear action won'thappen if you don't allocate
time for it.
You've got to use timemanagement techniques to create
space for essential tasks,especially the ones that move
(20:16):
the needle.
I've got a whole chapter abouttime management in my book, soul
Joy, and I've done severalpodcasts on those as well, and I
mean there's a plethora ofresources on time management,
but we can preach it, but I'minviting you to do it for
yourself as well.
(20:36):
Next, you want to look at beingable to develop a bias towards
action, and this means for youto consciously challenge
analysis, paralysis.
When you find yourselfoverthinking who does that?
I know I'm raising my hand oryou find yourself deliberating
too long, you learn to askyourself what simple action can
(21:02):
I take to test this idea or moveforward slightly?
A simple action we're notsaying get the whole damn thing
done.
We're talking about a simpleaction to move you towards
action, develop a bias towardsaction Okay.
(21:23):
Next, you want to reflect onaction outcome loops Okay.
So what this means is thatyou're regularly reflecting on
the actions you took and theiroutcomes what worked, what
didn't work, what new claritydid you gain?
This reinforces the positivefeedback loop between action and
(21:48):
clarity.
Okay, and the last one is toconnect action to purpose.
This is where you remindyourself of your why.
Your why is important whenaction feels difficult.
Reconnecting to that largerpurpose and I've got a whole
(22:09):
chapter on this in the book tooyou reconnect to that larger
purpose, your values, and thisprovides, or should help to
provide, motivation needed foryou to move forward, motivation
needed for you to move forward.
Okay, so, y'all, in our dynamicand often unpredictable
professions, the ability toseamlessly transition from
(22:33):
clarity to action is not just askill, it's a superpower.
It allows you to remain agile,responsive and, ultimately,
profoundly impactful for yourclient.
Don't let your valuable insightsremain trapped in theory, and
(22:55):
I'm not talking about CBT or DBTor Gestalt.
I'm talking about this.
Clarity is good, I like thisclarity, and you just sit there
without acting on the clarityyou deserve to be able to, to
(23:16):
allow yourself to take thatcourageous next step, however
small it may seem, because doingit well, even before I go there
, y'all, I can remember Idreamed about getting my PhD
back before I ever had abachelor's degree, and that
(23:38):
journey is an interesting one inand of itself, which could be a
podcast, because I didn't startcollege until Blakers was about
six months old, so 24, 25.
But I knew, I dreamed I longedto have my PhD and be a
professor and be a counselor andall that razzmatazz.
(24:00):
But it felt just overwhelmingand unattainable.
But I took a courageous nextstep.
I enrolled in one class incollege one class, and I did
well in that.
And I took the next class and,before I knew it, I had a PhD.
(24:20):
A lot of years in between that.
But I'm telling you, you got totake the step or nothing's
going to happen.
Yeah, because it's in doingthat true change and profound
clarity are forged.
Okay, so, before we go into theactivity, I want to invite you
(24:41):
to subscribe to my email list,because I want you getting this
weekly podcast in your inboxwith the PDF that I create for
you each week of the activity.
All you have to do is hop onover.
(25:05):
Got some pretty nice treats onthe website, so I really invite
you to hop over there and checkit out.
Okay so the activity this weekI call From Insight to Impact,
clarity in Action and y'all.
It's through self-reflectionand practical exercises that
(25:30):
you're going to explore therelationship between clarity and
action in your professionallife, and you can move that into
your personal life as well.
Move that into your personallife as well.
But this activity will help youdevelop strategies to bridge
the gap between insight andimpact.
(25:54):
Okay so, step one I want you toidentify areas for action.
So this would require I meanyou can do it as you're driving,
just thinking, but ideally whenyou get home replaying this
portion of the podcast so youcan do this for yourself but
finding a space where you canfocus without interruption and
(26:16):
think about examples andstrategies that we discussed in
this podcast.
And I want you to identify twoto three specific situations in
your professional life We'llstart there where you have
clarity, insight, understanding,but you're struggling to take
the action.
Be as concrete as possible.
(26:38):
Maybe it's I understand theneed for better boundaries with
clients, but I struggle toimplement them.
Or I know I need to address acommunication issue with a
colleague, but I'm avoiding thatconversation.
Or I have a clear vision for anew program, but I haven't
started the planning process.
Process, rather, could beprogress.
(27:00):
So that's step one.
You identify.
Step two you're going to explorebarriers to action.
For each step, for eachsituation that you identify in
step one, explore the barriersthat are preventing you from
taking that action.
This could be you consideringthe following you know what
(27:24):
fears might be holding you backfear of failure, fear of
conflict.
What limiting beliefs are atplay?
I'm not good enough, it won'tmake a difference.
What practical obstacles mightexist?
Lack of time, lack of resources, what emotional factors are
(27:44):
influencing your inaction?
Overwhelm, lack of motivation.
So you take some time toconsider those barriers.
And then, in step three, youdefine and this one's powerful,
I love this one.
You define the next smallestaction For each situation you
(28:07):
break, for each situation innumber two.
Step two I want you tobrainstorm at least three next
smallest actions you could take.
And remember y'all these shouldbe extremely small, extremely
easy steps, not the entiresolution.
(28:28):
So what would that look like,jules?
Well, I'm going to tell youInstead of implement better
boundaries, the smallest actionmight be write down three
boundary statements I can useInstead of address communication
issue.
The next smallest action mightbe schedule a 15-minute meeting
(28:53):
with a colleague Instead ofstart planning a new program.
The next smallest step actioncould be brainstorm three
potential program components.
Maybe you want to develop acoaching program.
What are three components inthat?
(29:15):
Well, I want to talk aboutsetting boundaries.
I want to talk aboutcommunication.
I want to talk about theeasiest way to make money,
whatever it might be.
It's in you.
You just need to you're willingto commit to implementing in
the next 48 hours.
I want you to include thespecific action, the exact time
(30:07):
you're going to do it, anyresources or support you might
need and a brief statement ofyour commitment to taking this
action.
Okay, okay, so there's foursteps here, and the first step
is to identify areas for action.
Then you explore barriers toaction.
(30:27):
Then you define the nextsmallest action.
Then you create an action planand your commitment to those.
All right, so that's it forthis episode of Soul Joy.
Thanks for seeking clarity andhaving the courage to act.
Please subscribe to my podcast,wherever you listen, and leave
(30:50):
a review, and until next time,take care of you.
Hey y'all, this is Dr Julie Merriman, and welcome to
SoulJoy.
Today we continue exploring,balancing the third eye chakra,
by talking about a powerfuldynamic that underpins a
successful practice, the crucialconnection between clarity and
(00:28):
action, because, y'all this is avery necessary component of
holistic, sustainable self-care.
All right, all right, all right, welcome.
I am so glad that y'all poppedin to join me for just a hot
minute today.
So I always start with just alittle home chat, and right now
(00:48):
what's on my mind is a funweekend we've got planned with
Blakers, our youngest son, andNicole, his lovely wife.
We're going to check outMcKinney when it's I mean, my
husband's from Plano, soMcKinney really isn't a.
That's his stomping groundsgrowing up.
But what we're checking out isa little community called the
(01:09):
Adriatic Village.
My daughter-in-law found this.
It's like a little slice ofItaly right there in McKinney,
texas.
And then we're going to checkout Wilson's Creek.
That's where my husband'sgrandmother grew up.
Of course, the homestead isn'tthere anymore, it's walking
trails and such, but it'd bekind of fun to check out where
she rode her horse and such backin the early 1900s.
(01:31):
So anyway, I think it's goingto be a fun weekend and I'm
tickled to get to spend it withmy kiddos.
So that's what's going on, well, and my husband.
That's what's going on at theMerriman Compound this week.
Okay, professional helpers, thispodcast is dedicated to
preventing and overcomingoccupational hazards of this
(01:51):
amazing career that we've chosen, and those hazards are burnout,
compassion, fatigue andvicarious trauma.
So, as helping professionals,we are inherently seekers of
clarity Clarity about ourclients' needs, clarity about
ethical dilemmas, clarity aboutour therapeutic approach and
(02:14):
clarity about our ownprofessional purpose.
Right, we spend countless hoursstriving for insight, for
understanding and for a clearpath forward.
I mean, that's part of what wedo.
But clarity in and of itself isonly half the equation.
(02:36):
What that's right?
That's only half the equation.
The other, equally vital, halfis action.
Clarity without action is awaste of time.
Think about it.
(02:56):
You might have the mostprofound insight into a client's
core issue, but if you don'ttranslate that into a
therapeutic intervention, areferral or a shift in approach,
the insight remains theoretical.
You might have a perfectlyclear understanding of a
(03:18):
systemic problem, but withouttaking steps to advocate or
collaborate, that understandingwon't, cannot lead to change.
So today we'll explore why it'sthis connection that is so
critical.
(03:38):
What often breaks the linkbetween clarity and action.
We're going to explore that andhow we can strengthen this
bridge to become more impactful,less overwhelmed and truly
effective in our roles.
So let's define these terms inour context, okay.
(04:00):
So clarity this is about knowingwhat you need to do right.
You're clear on it, you knowwhy you need to do it and how
you might do it.
It's the precision ofunderstanding, the sharp focus
y'all on the goal and the clearidentification of the path.
(04:25):
And to do this it involvescognitive clarity understanding
the concepts, problems,solutions.
It involves emotional clarityunderstanding your own and
others' feelings and how theyimpact the situation.
And I mean for us, that's rich.
There's a lot there, Not onlybecause it's eminently important
(04:49):
to help our clients explorethat and lead to that, but it's
eminently important as well,y'all, for us to explore our own
.
We don't need to be apsychotherapist sitting in an
office who's never taken thetime to explore their own
emotions and how things you know, how life has impacted us.
So emotional clarity is reallyimportant and purposeful clarity
(05:16):
knowing your why, your values,mission and the desire to
outcome that's important.
Mission and the desire tooutcome, that's important.
But action, on the other hand,is the tangible step right, it's
the in our world.
(05:36):
The treatment plan, right, thesmart treatment plan.
You know, the specific,measurable, attainable.
I mean the smart treatment plan.
But okay, so action is thetangible step, the forward
movement, the implementation ofthat understanding.
(05:57):
It's the difference betweenknowing what needs to be done
and actually doing it.
What needs to be done andactually doing it.
And action can be y'all.
It can be a direct interventionwith your client, it can be a
conversation with a colleague orsupervisor, maybe it's a policy
proposal, maybe a self-careboundary that you implement, or
(06:21):
perhaps a moment of mindfulpresence.
The relationship betweenclarity and action is symbiotic
and bidirectional.
Okay, y'all.
Clarity fuels action.
When you have a clear pictureof the problem and potential
(06:44):
solutions, you're more likely totake decisive steps.
Ambiguity and there's a lot ofit in this field, there's a lot
of gray areas.
But for the sake of thisdiscussion, ambiguity breeds
paralysis of this discussion.
Ambiguity breeds paralysis.
(07:04):
If you're unsure of your roleor the next step, an action is
often the default, and thatparalysis can feel awful.
Action refines clarity.
This is the oftenunderestimated part.
You don't always need 100%clarity before you act.
(07:27):
In fact, that's sometimes hardto get to.
Sometimes, taking a small,calculated action is precisely
what generates further clarity.
It allows you to test ahypothesis, to gather new
information and to adjust yourunderstanding.
(07:47):
That is so true.
I can't tell you how many timesI've launched a website.
And well, the very first one Iwas in analysis paralysis and I
wasn't putting it out therebecause it wasn't perfect.
But now I don't even thinkabout it.
I have clarity about what Iwant to happen.
But that action of actuallyputting it up and then coming
(08:10):
back and looking at it andrefining really helps me Y'all.
It's like a feedback loop youact, you learn, you gain more
clarity and then you can takemore informed action.
So why is this connection socritical for professional
(08:35):
helpers?
Well, client progress.
Let's explore that Y'all.
Our clients need us to be clearand decisive.
While we empower our clients toact, our own clear actions,
such as structuring a session,providing specific resources,
making ethical decisions thisprovides the framework for their
(08:59):
progress.
I mean, that's the science ofwhat we do, along with our
theories.
Also, overcoming overwhelm whenwe are operating with this
connection with clarity andaction, this helps to overcome
(09:21):
overwhelm.
Our work is often complex andfeeling overwhelmed frequently
stems y'all from having a lot ofclarity about problems, but a
lack of clarity on the nextaction step.
I see this with my students asthey're learning this counseling
process and I can't tell youhow often when we're in
(09:45):
supervision they talk about thisoverwhelm.
But it happens because theydon't have that pattern of
information from so manysessions having been done that
they've created a clarity of thenext step.
But I think this can get ineven for us seasoned folks.
I think this can get in the waywhen we forget exactly how
(10:08):
important clarity and action arein connection.
That next step is veryimportant.
Okay, I'm clear about this.
Now, what?
Breaking down complexsituations into small,
actionable tasks helps us toreduce overwhelm.
(10:32):
We want to prevent analysisparalysis, as I spoke about a
moment ago with the website.
Yeah, we are thinkers.
That's what we are trained todo.
We're trained analyzers, we'retrained empathizers, and this
can lead to getting stuck inendless deliberation, constantly
seeking more information orwaiting for the perfect solution
(10:56):
that doesn't exist.
Paralysis, where claritybecomes a trap rather than a
springboard.
Okay, so, yeah, yeah, thinkabout that when we get into
paralysis this analysisparalysis it's a trap and it
(11:21):
doesn't help us to move forward.
So we have to just make peacethat it might not be perfect,
but we're going to put it outthere, we're going to try this,
we're going to make this actionhappen instead of just sitting
and spiraling.
And next, we have to considerbuilding confidence and
(11:42):
self-trust.
Each time you translate clarityinto effective action, you
build a deeper sense ofcompetence and self-trust, you
prove to yourself that yourinsights are valid and that you
can translate them intomeaningful impact.
(12:02):
So, y'all, what often breaksthis vital link and how can we,
as professional helpers, ashumans, strengthen this?
Okay, so in my research andanalysis, I didn't get into
paralysis, but I did analyze.
I came up with some commonbarriers to action, despite we
(12:26):
might have clarity.
So the first is fear of failure, fear of making that mistake.
We're afraid of getting itwrong, especially with high
stakes, and I have a wholepodcast on my belief about
mistakes.
I think mistakes, our societydoes not embrace mistakes like
we should, and I don't believethere are failures or mistakes.
(12:48):
I think if we approach it withour frontal lobe, fully engaged,
we can see that this is abeautiful learning experience
that, had we not made thatmistake, would never have had
the opportunity to learn.
The other, or another bulletpoint I found is fear of
(13:12):
criticism or judgment, and thishappens a lot.
What will others think if thisaction doesn't work out?
That's where shame,embarrassment, things from our
inner child that perhaps isn'thealed will come up and really
slap us in the face.
And listen to last week'sepisode, not last week's, it
(13:34):
would be episode 17, I believethat I did on inner child work.
It might've been 18.
Anyway, it's in the episodes,but inner child work is very
important as we're trying to getto this point of clarity
connecting to action.
The next bullet point isperfectionism.
(13:55):
We're waiting for that idealmoment or the flawless plan,
like my website that I sat onfor probably six months once
upon a time, no more, and I'vehad numerous websites since then
.
I put that bad boy up there andmake some improvements as I go
back and look at it, butperfectionism, it doesn't happen
(14:16):
.
There's not going to be aflawless plan.
Next bullet point unclear nextstep.
Even with overall clarity, thevery next micro action isn't
always obvious and that's wherewe seek supervision, that's
(14:37):
where we join in masterminds,that's where we're in some maybe
Facebook groups with otherprofessional helpers, where we
can get a bigger picture of whatnext steps might look like.
We continue to train 30 yearsin I'm still going to trainings
(14:57):
and learning because I'm neverdone and to get clarity of what
that next step might be.
Continuous training is veryhelpful might be continuous
training is very helpful.
The next bullet point is lack ofpsychological safety.
That's y'all, y'all.
That's when you feel unsafe totake risks or make decisions,
(15:21):
and that's something I reallytry to instill in my students
and my supervisees.
I want us, I want all of us, Iwant my students, I want my
supervisees to feel very safe tomake a mistake, because we're
going to, because when we feelsafe to make a mistake, y'all,
we're going to take that risk,we're going to go ahead and make
(15:41):
those decisions and we're goingto grow in those efforts.
So those are some bullet pointsI came up with and I also
looked at some strategies tostrengthen the clarity action
bridge.
Right, think of it as a bridgeyou're building.
Here's the clarity.
I've got to cross this bridgeinto action.
(16:02):
So you want to define the next,smallest action.
If a task feels overwhelming,don't focus on the end goal.
Ask yourself what's theabsolute, smallest, easiest step
I can take right now.
This reduces the barrier toentry and it helps you build
(16:26):
momentum.
What might might?
I can't talk.
What might that look like,jules?
Well, so instead of develop anew treatment plan, think open
the client's file, right.
You can read what's in thereand you're going to get inspired
as you're reading through yournotes, reading through the last
(16:48):
treatment plan, reading throughprogress.
It's the absolute smallest,easiest step to build momentum.
I'm talking about in yourtherapy office, but you can also
do that at home.
I mean, what we're talkingabout here works in your
professional and private lives.
(17:12):
Next, you want to embrace the80% rule.
I know you've heard of this.
Do not wait for 100% clarity.
Often y'all that 80% clarity isenough to take that first
informed action.
The remaining 20% will likelyreveal itself through that
(17:33):
action.
This is about being actionoriented, not perfection
oriented.
Perfection oriented is it's anawful place to be.
Don't do that to yourself.
Move to action oriented.
Next, you want to cultivate thepsychological safety for
(17:54):
yourself.
You want to create an internalenvironment where it's okay to
try, it's okay to learn and evengive yourself permission to
make mistakes.
It's going to happen.
You've got to remind yourselfthat action isn't about being
flawless.
Action is about learning andadapting.
(18:19):
This also extends to seekingsupportive supervision.
This also extends to seekingsupportive supervision, peer
consultation, where it's safe todebrief your actions so
valuable.
I can remember a time I was in acouple session and I just kind
of froze up.
Something about what the couplewas doing triggered something
(18:46):
inside me.
Now I was able to get myselfback together and in the session
and, you know, move forward.
But fortunately in that momentand it could be when we look at
giving yourself permission youknow that psychological safety.
I had done that for myself andfortunately I was in a group
practice and a colleague had hada no-show and I was able to
(19:08):
walk across the hallway andreceive peer consultation in
that moment and understand whathad happened.
The couple began kind ofsparring with each other and
y'all know couples work can betricky, but they began kind of
sparring with each other andy'all know couples work can be
tricky, but they began kind ofsparring with each other.
That triggered something likemy mom and dad had done.
So my eight-year-old Julieshowed up in the office and
(19:33):
through that peer consultation Iwas able to reach an
understanding about that.
That helped me tremendously inmy other sessions with couples.
But had I not given myself thatpsychological safety, to admit
man, something didn't feel rightabout that and go across the
hallway and talk with mycolleague I wouldn't have grown.
(19:55):
The next thing you want to lookat is time blocking and
prioritization.
Even a clear action won'thappen if you don't allocate
time for it.
You've got to use timemanagement techniques to create
space for essential tasks,especially the ones that move
(20:16):
the needle.
I've got a whole chapter abouttime management in my book, soul
Joy, and I've done severalpodcasts on those as well, and I
mean there's a plethora ofresources on time management,
but we can preach it, but I'minviting you to do it for
yourself as well.
(20:36):
Next, you want to look at beingable to develop a bias towards
action, and this means for youto consciously challenge
analysis, paralysis.
When you find yourselfoverthinking who does that?
I know I'm raising my hand oryou find yourself deliberating
too long, you learn to askyourself what simple action can
(21:02):
I take to test this idea or moveforward slightly?
A simple action we're notsaying get the whole damn thing
done.
We're talking about a simpleaction to move you towards
action, develop a bias towardsaction Okay.
(21:23):
Next, you want to reflect onaction outcome loops Okay.
So what this means is thatyou're regularly reflecting on
the actions you took and theiroutcomes what worked, what
didn't work, what new claritydid you gain?
This reinforces the positivefeedback loop between action and
(21:48):
clarity.
Okay, and the last one is toconnect action to purpose.
This is where you remindyourself of your why.
Your why is important whenaction feels difficult.
Reconnecting to that largerpurpose and I've got a whole
(22:09):
chapter on this in the book tooyou reconnect to that larger
purpose, your values, and thisprovides, or should help to
provide, motivation needed foryou to move forward, motivation
needed for you to move forward.
Okay, so, y'all, in our dynamicand often unpredictable
professions, the ability toseamlessly transition from
(22:33):
clarity to action is not just askill, it's a superpower.
It allows you to remain agile,responsive and, ultimately,
profoundly impactful for yourclient.
Don't let your valuable insightsremain trapped in theory, and
(22:55):
I'm not talking about CBT or DBTor Gestalt.
I'm talking about this.
Clarity is good, I like thisclarity, and you just sit there
without acting on the clarityyou deserve to be able to, to
(23:16):
allow yourself to take thatcourageous next step, however
small it may seem, because doingit well, even before I go there
, y'all, I can remember Idreamed about getting my PhD
back before I ever had abachelor's degree, and that
(23:38):
journey is an interesting one inand of itself, which could be a
podcast, because I didn't startcollege until Blakers was about
six months old, so 24, 25.
But I knew, I dreamed I longedto have my PhD and be a
professor and be a counselor andall that razzmatazz.
(24:00):
But it felt just overwhelmingand unattainable.
But I took a courageous nextstep.
I enrolled in one class incollege one class, and I did
well in that.
And I took the next class and,before I knew it, I had a PhD.
(24:20):
A lot of years in between that.
But I'm telling you, you got totake the step or nothing's
going to happen.
Yeah, because it's in doingthat true change and profound
clarity are forged.
Okay, so, before we go into theactivity, I want to invite you
(24:41):
to subscribe to my email list,because I want you getting this
weekly podcast in your inboxwith the PDF that I create for
you each week of the activity.
All you have to do is hop onover.
(25:05):
Got some pretty nice treats onthe website, so I really invite
you to hop over there and checkit out.
Okay so the activity this weekI call From Insight to Impact,
clarity in Action and y'all.
It's through self-reflectionand practical exercises that
(25:30):
you're going to explore therelationship between clarity and
action in your professionallife, and you can move that into
your personal life as well.
Move that into your personallife as well.
But this activity will help youdevelop strategies to bridge
the gap between insight andimpact.
(25:54):
Okay so, step one I want you toidentify areas for action.
So this would require I meanyou can do it as you're driving,
just thinking, but ideally whenyou get home replaying this
portion of the podcast so youcan do this for yourself but
finding a space where you canfocus without interruption and
(26:16):
think about examples andstrategies that we discussed in
this podcast.
And I want you to identify twoto three specific situations in
your professional life We'llstart there where you have
clarity, insight, understanding,but you're struggling to take
the action.
Be as concrete as possible.
(26:38):
Maybe it's I understand theneed for better boundaries with
clients, but I struggle toimplement them.
Or I know I need to address acommunication issue with a
colleague, but I'm avoiding thatconversation.
Or I have a clear vision for anew program, but I haven't
started the planning process.
Process, rather, could beprogress.
(27:00):
So that's step one.
You identify.
Step two you're going to explorebarriers to action.
For each step, for eachsituation that you identify in
step one, explore the barriersthat are preventing you from
taking that action.
This could be you consideringthe following you know what
(27:24):
fears might be holding you backfear of failure, fear of
conflict.
What limiting beliefs are atplay?
I'm not good enough, it won'tmake a difference.
What practical obstacles mightexist?
Lack of time, lack of resources, what emotional factors are
(27:44):
influencing your inaction?
Overwhelm, lack of motivation.
So you take some time toconsider those barriers.
And then, in step three, youdefine and this one's powerful,
I love this one.
You define the next smallestaction For each situation you
(28:07):
break, for each situation innumber two.
Step two I want you tobrainstorm at least three next
smallest actions you could take.
And remember y'all these shouldbe extremely small, extremely
easy steps, not the entiresolution.
(28:28):
So what would that look like,jules?
Well, I'm going to tell youInstead of implement better
boundaries, the smallest actionmight be write down three
boundary statements I can useInstead of address communication
issue.
The next smallest action mightbe schedule a 15-minute meeting
(28:53):
with a colleague Instead ofstart planning a new program.
The next smallest step actioncould be brainstorm three
potential program components.
Maybe you want to develop acoaching program.
What are three components inthat?
(29:15):
Well, I want to talk aboutsetting boundaries.
I want to talk aboutcommunication.
I want to talk about theeasiest way to make money,
whatever it might be.
It's in you.
You just need to you're willingto commit to implementing in
the next 48 hours.
I want you to include thespecific action, the exact time
(30:07):
you're going to do it, anyresources or support you might
need and a brief statement ofyour commitment to taking this
action.
Okay, okay, so there's foursteps here, and the first step
is to identify areas for action.
Then you explore barriers toaction.
(30:27):
Then you define the nextsmallest action.
Then you create an action planand your commitment to those.
All right, so that's it forthis episode of Soul Joy.
Thanks for seeking clarity andhaving the courage to act.
Please subscribe to my podcast,wherever you listen, and leave
(30:50):
a review, and until next time,take care of you.
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