Until recently I never would have defined myself as “a writer,” but hey! Here we are! And what a beautiful place to be. Thoughts, they pour from my fingers, eager to create, and inspire. I am endlessly grateful for the early days of my blog, the journey it started me on, and the final product: A creative outlet that feeds my soul.
This new label though, Tara-the writer, continues to be a bit confusing for me. Still, I embrace it–albeit awkwardly–and have decided to take my writing more seriously. So, as we do in the modern world, I took to the web and searched for ideas of inspiration to find a foothold, a starting point, one that writers before me have taken: Enter Clarity Cards.
Clarity Cards offer the opportunity to gain focus and direction in your life. It is an idea proposed by an author by the name of Dan Blank–not just an author though, but a supporter of writers everywhere–and he encourages writers to “fulfill their creative vision,” and “find their audience.” He suggests that to have a solid starting point it is crucial to know your priorities, and gain some clarity. Click here for his site, and a detailed description of the clarity cards process: https://wegrowmedia.com/claritycards/
Now, I have a confession. Before starting the recommended process, I let the idea simmer within my mind for a couple weeks, giving me the chance to contemplate my vision, and decide on my main point of focus. And so it is: To inspire, and be inspired. Simple, but also oh so complicated! What does that look like? What does it even mean? It impacts every aspect of my life: raising my two beautiful boys, supporting many kiddos through my work as an education assistant, discovering the depths of my own inspirations, connecting with my husband, friends, and family on a level that supports growth and learning, and encouraging people everywhere to find their passion, their purpose, and live their best life. The farthest thing from simple, right? But the feeling of making a difference in the world is all the fuel I need! Now, just to figure out how...
I suppose figuring out the how is part of my process, my journey… So, onward we go!
Allow me to present to you, MY CLARITY CARDS:
Number One Priority: INSPIRE. and BE INSPIRED!
Secondary Priorities: FAMILY GAME NIGHTS and SELF CARE: Easy choices.
- Family game nights are already a regular occurrence in our house; It’s an easy way to spend quality time together, connect, learn, and have fun!
- And self care, in my opinion, should be at the top of everyone’s priority list. If you’re not at peace within yourself, you can’t offer your best self to the world!
Third string Priorities: FINISH WRITING MY BOOK, QUALITY TIME WITH MY HUSBAND, and SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS.
- While my book will be a tool to inspire others, its not going to be in the hands of readers anytime soon… But my blog can reach people now! So, my book will get done, but just not as fast as I had originally hoped. And I’m ok with that.
- My husband is my rock, my best friend, and the person I cannot live without! He inspires me, challenges me, and together we can accomplish anything. No great relationship maintains itself though, time and effort must be put in to maintain that love and connection.
- Quality time outdoors encompasses so many of life’s happy little things: Various adventures as a family, playing sports, taking the dog for a walk, and just finding new and exciting ways to soak in the beauty of our hometown. Being winter though, it’s easy to get lazy and push these things aside… But spring is coming! Getting excited to get some seeds going for the upcoming gardening season, start building our backyard studio, and just enjoy the new deck that was just built! …I foresee 2022 being the year of the backyard party 😎
Priorities that still count: TRAVEL, MAINTAIN/ORGANIZE OUR HOME, HEALTHY MEALS, READ MORE, and FRIENDS.
- So I cheated again, and added an extra… So let me tell you why this one doesn’t count! While I would LOVE travel to be a priority right now, I just can’t with a 1 year old at home, and the world the way it is. ONE DAY though, we will travel again! Until then, I continue to grow my savings, and wait… which hardly counts as a priority since it requires zero time or effort… So, there it sits.
- Maintaining and organizing our home though, that takes a great deal of time and effort! I wish it didn’t have to be a priority, but it just kinda is. So much time is spent in the home, and living in a disaster zone doesn’t really appeal to me. We of course have days where dishes pile up on the counter, or dust-bunnies gather in the corners… But we do our best. Moving on.
- I do enjoy cooking, especially when my husband or son are working along-side me; So creating healthy meals is satisfying both mentally, and in our tummies! 🙂
- As a family we set goals to read more often; a never-ending goal that gets tweaked to ensure success!
- And time for friends; although that can also be difficult in this current world, we make it work when we can. The thing about friends though, it’s not about the quantity, but the quality… and we have a few precious gems. We may not see each other on a regular basis, but when we do, it’s smiles and love all around.
DRINK MORE WATER: One more cheat!! It’s an important priority, but hardly one that requires a plan or setting time aside… Just do it!
There you have it! Tara’s pyramid of clarity!
…What will yours look like? I’d love to see it! Share below or connect with me on instagram, twitter, or facebook!
Sending love to you all!
If you enjoyed this, please consider subscribing to my newsletter! You can do that by going back to the main page, or just by clicking here. Thank you!