Step Eight: MAINTAIN Your Clarity
Complexity Kills Clarity
One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.
Bruce Lee
Adam McCampbell bravely said no.
His newfound clarity made the choice simple. Just six months ago, caught up in complexity, he might have jumped at the impressive promotional perks offered by his generous employer:
A company car
A six-figure salary
Incredible benefits
A robust expense account
A flexible schedule
But by authoring his OPUS in The Deeper Path Coaching Cohort, he achieved incredible clarity. Now he knew exactly what he wanted. And it didn’t include spending half his week away from his young family.
Through a compelling process, Adam discovered his true purpose—fueling leaders’ dreams by creating high-performing teams. Taking on the new role of managing furniture sales reps at his day job didn’t fulfill that purpose. No matter how much they offered to pay him, he was out.
Although his dreams had felt unrefined only months before, today they were incredibly clear.
Four weeks before this offer of a promotion, he stood before our Cohort and read us part of his OPUS.[1] We couldn’t believe his clarity. My guess is you won’t either.
Clarity Comes with a Cost
There’s a danger in clarity.
Adam discovered this firsthand. Once you know what you want, you’re dissatisfied with anything less. Why get paid to do something you don’t want to do? Sounds like “professional prostitution” to me.
Rereading Adam’s dream, you won’t find anything about a furniture brand. And you won’t see anything about abandoning his two boys for 50 percent of their childhood. Quite the opposite, you see an author, a business partner, and a man connected to his faith. You see a man deeply tied to his wife and sons.
Because of this clarity, Adam escaped his day job, despite their generous offer. Instead, he entered his dream job full-time with VisionSpark cofounder Alec Broadfoot. With VisionSpark, a consulting firm that specializes in finding companies superstar employees, Adam turned his part-time passion into his full-time gig.
With Alec and Adam steering the ship, VisionSpark changes the way many companies now hire. By incorporating the Choosing Winners System, VisionSpark consistently puts up impressive numbers:
95 percent success rate
Average employee tenure is over seven years
150 to 300 percent increase in productivity
Increased employee morale
95 percent repeat business rate
99 percent satisfaction rate
Guaranteed results[2]
Alec found a competent cofounder in Adam. But the transition came with a cost. Adam had to “decide” to walk away. He couldn’t hang on to his day job and simultaneously jump into his dream job.
Decide is an interesting word. We use it casually, but it carries some serious weight. Decide comes from the Latin word decidere, which means “to cut off.” Its relative, caedere, means “to cut” or “to kill.”
So when you make a decision, you’re literally “killing your options.” You’re cutting off other opportunities and possibilities.
This is why decisions are often so difficult. You know decisions come with a cost and so you delay making them. You think delaying solves the problem, but it only prolongs the pain.
What you fail to realize is that not making a decision is actually a decision. You’ll never have the exact same opportunity again. And by choosing not to decide, you choose to stay exactly where you are.
When we finally do make a decision, we feel a loss. This small death must be grieved appropriately. When Adam decided not to accept the generous offer, he killed his chances of moving up through the ranks at his day job.
But this necessary death created the necessary space to enter his new endeavor. Killing his day job gave birth to his dream job.
Similar to the flying trapeze artist who feels the rush of the temporary free fall, letting go of your day job and jumping for your dream job requires a certain confidence. Don’t think blind faith. Imagine intentional clarity.
We call this The Deeper Path Payoff.
The Deeper Path Payoff
Walk the complete path and you’ll experience success and significance. Take a shortcut and find yourself skimping or scamming.
Let’s explore this path.
Clarity. Like Adam, all DJs experience deeper levels of clarity. This isn’t where you begin, but it’s definitely where you end up. Clarity comes before you take a step. Feeling restless in your day job isn’t the signal to jump into your dream job. Not yet. No one will buy from you until you know your value and your products/services.
Competence. Something magical happens when you gain clarity. You become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses. You understand your few gifts with razor-sharp intuition. When you don’t know your unique skills, it’s a clear indication you’re still unclear. And when you’re unclear, no one will buy from you. Why would they? For example, try pulling up to a drive-thru restaurant. Ask what they’re serving and how much it costs. If they’re unclear, you’ll drive away. And so will your potential customers.
Confidence. True confidence is simply the byproduct of clarity and competence. When you know your products/services, your value, and your ability to deliver results, you naturally communicate belief. People buy belief. Hardly something you conjure up, confidence flows from proven character. Notice how arrogance and confidence are diametrically opposed.
Arrogance | Confidence |
Shows off = devious | Shows up = dependable |
Deficit: created by negative self-image | Surplus: created by positive self-image |
“Look at me.” | “Let me look at you.” |
“How can you serve my wants?” | “How can I serve your needs?” |
Influence. By embodying clarity, competence, and confidence, you earn the right to be heard. People invest in you by paying attention. Remember, time is even more valuable than money. When people allow you to influence them, it’s because they see your unique value. Don’t stop here. Keep walking the path.
Impact. When you reach this point, provide people a true solution for their problems. Give away your best for free. Assume the risk. Alleviate their pain or increase their pleasure. Connect with them before communicating your product/service. Let them taste the results for themselves. Watch what happens.
Income. If you travel this path slowly and sincerely, you’ll discover it’s the fastest way to true income. Get-rich schemes leave a bitter aftertaste. The Deeper Path Payoff puts you in the guru position surrounded by a tribe that really cares for you. Serve others. Provide true value. Offer real solutions for people’s problems and they’ll fight to invest in you.
Complexity Kills Clarity
One last thing before we take the final step. Many DJs crash and burn due to complexity. Stay simple. Listen to your Personal Advisory Board. But follow your intuition. You must live with your choices. Own up to them.
Many voices will give their opinions. They’ll tell you what you need based on their experience, conventional wisdom, and stereotypical sound bites. But ask yourself, Do I want their results?
Conventional wisdom is conventional for a reason. DJs chart their own course. Don’t be stupid or reckless, but don’t invite complexity.
I purposefully avoid hiring employees, occupying an office, or investing in costly overhead. For me it works. I filter all my business decisions through my OPUS, a simple document I’ve posted for anyone to read (DeeperPathBook.com/team/).
My OPUS helps me “decide” what to say yes to and what to say no to. Chet Scott, the creator of OPUS, describes it as:
O Overarching Vision
P Purpose
U Unifying Strategies
S Scorecard for Significance[3]
I Keep It Simple
I do insane workouts, but only a few times a week. I eat healthy and worship daily. I love playing with my three kids.
My wife, Kelly, is a gift from above. She supports me and kicks my butt. She’s my truth teller, edifier, and challenger all in one.
I do selective corporate gigs and I started a nonprofit. I write, coach, and speak. I love synergistic partnerships.
I have a few close friends and I love my tribe. My passion is Igniting Souls.
Like I said, simple.
Maintain clarity. Kill complexity.
Key Points
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