Distinctions lead to Clarity, Clarity gives you Power. Part 6 in the Change My Life series

The value of goals, of knowing where you're going, was discussed in article #5 in this Change my Life series. And most people start by wondering what they should do, what should they change.

Change is vital because unless you make a change in your life, nothing will change in your life. You do need to change something, although a focus on changing what you're doing often misses a crucial point.

The Vital Issue
Usually the question asked is, "What do I do to change my life?" But this assumes that you can change, of course. The self sabotage mechanism is highly resistant to change, so this vital issue needs to be addressed first.

What enables you to change? Sufficient power - inner power - which includes willingness and motivation. If you are powerless to overcome your self sabotage, how can you change? The larger your capacity to make changes, the sooner you get results. So first put your attention on improving your capacity to change, on increasing your personal power.

How to Change
Now Life Strategies' answer to the important question, What and how do I change? has two parts:

a) create an effective strategy to get where you want to be, and
b) become more effective in implementing that strategy.

The vital word to focus on in both answers is effective, which is beneficial in any situation, no matter the circumstances.

Let's look at the second part which asks how do you become more effective? Find out what makes the difference! Without knowing what makes a difference, how can you become more effective? So start by becoming aware of the differences that make the difference.

Awareness and Clarity are Crucial
So awareness - becoming aware of what's important - is crucial. Awareness suggests a topic, a subject of which you may have been previously unaware.

Once you have become aware of what you need to become clear about, your increased awareness will then give you more clarity. Clarity suggests a subject about which you have already become aware, one where investing your time and energy will benefit you.

But what gives you clarity? You become clear when you discover the distinctions which make the difference. By studying what gives you more power in these particular circumstances.

Increase your Personal Power
Many people think that knowledge gives power, and, yes, sometimes it does. But only when relevant, time wasted on irrelevant distinctions is simply self sabotage.

Some even think that information is power. But information unprocessed is only information, it needs to be organised to become useful knowledge. Only knowledge relevant to the circumstances is useful and increases your personal power. The more clear you are about these distinctions, the more effective you become.

Effectiveness needs the awareness of what's important, so first become aware of the distinctions that make the difference. These distinctions give you clarity about what's important, which increases your personal power.

But how do you increase your awareness? A very good question, we'll explore that in the next article in this series.

© Copyright worldwide Cris Baker, www.LifeStrategies.net All rights reserved. Republishing welcomed under Creative Commons noncommercial no derivatives license preserving all links intact, so please +1 and share this widely!

Food for Thought
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination."

- Tommy Lasorda, Major League Baseball Star and Manager with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers