How Clear Are You on 2023?

The new year is always a time for reflection and reset. It’s a rejuvenation of clarity around where I am going next and what I want out of the upcoming year. 

So it’s time to ask: how clear are you on what 2023 is about for you?

Do you know exactly what you are going to focus on this year and why? Are you clear on the specific outcomes and impact you will generate? 

Most of us go into each year with directional clarity, meaning: 

• “I want to grow my business” 
• “I want to be more healthy” 
• “I want to strengthen my leadership” 
• “I want more freedom to spend time with family”

These statements provide directional clarity but do NOT provide the necessary leverage to create real change. So the results are often well short of our aspirations, and we end up rearticulating the same directional clarity at this time next year.  

Let’s start 2023 with a different approach. Remember, success has a direct cause-effect relationship with clarity. The clearer you are on what you want, the specific outcomes you will create, and how you will align your focus determines your success in the coming year. If you have mediocre clarity, you simply can’t expect breakthrough results. 

If this is the year to do something different, there are three fundamental questions you need to answer to go into 2023 with specific and real clarity that drives higher levels of success.  

Question 1: What is 2023 REALLY about for me?

Your goals or outcomes for the coming year must align with what truly motivates you. If they are not aligned, you are effectively fighting against yourself, and generally, your true motivators will trump the goals you have articulated. For example, if you are looking to double your business, but one of your underlying motivators is to have more freedom around your time, you have created a dynamic that is likely at odds with each other. To achieve your aspirations in 2023, you need to be clear on what you want to create and ensure that what is really motivating you right now aligns with those outcomes. 

At times in my career, I have sacrificed career growth to spend time with family. At other times, I have prioritized my business and career over relationships. These are all choices, and we all have a priority hierarchy working as we enter each year. 

 If you get clear on this question, the year will be more successful for you. 

Question 2: What are the SPECIFIC OUTCOMES that I will create?

One of the cornerstones of clarity going into each year is specificity around the tangible outcomes you will create. The most successful leaders demonstrate a pattern of consistently articulating specific and measurable goals. There are two different questions that you can ask to gain the level of clarity that you need:

• What are my top-level objectives for this coming year?  In other words, what are the 3-5 most important areas in which I want to move the needle or succeed? These objectives should be stated in an actionable way and collectively reflect what success looks like for you in 2023. For example, if you are trying to grow your business, is it about growing revenues, increasing market share, expanding margin, or increasing bottom-line profits? These are valid objectives, but each will create different priorities and focus. Be clear on your priorities and state them in actionable Objective statements.
• What are the specific outcomes for each Objective, and what’s the evidence of success? As a pattern, leaders often remain too vague about the precise results they desire to achieve. There are many reasons for this (for a later discussion), but the research shows that tangible clarity around outcomes has a higher propensity for success. For each of your stated Objectives, make sure that you articulate specific, tangible outcomes and that you know the evidence that will demonstrate that you have reached them. There is often no perfect measure for your Objectives, but when you force yourself to clarify the evidence that proves you have been successful, you move your clarity into a more tangible light.   

Question 3: What is the specific NEED I am solving, and how is my VALUE UNIQUE in solving it?

Focusing on the actionable part of the questions above is tempting as you clarify what 2023 is about for you. However, success around your pursuits in 2023 is directly related to you creating value in every interaction. In other words, whether you are trying to grow your business or strengthen your leadership capabilities, your success hinges on understanding the value you are creating for others. You must know who you are you serving, what problems you are solving, and how and why you are unique in solving it.

You can execute all day long, but you are wasting your time if you are not aligning your priorities and actions to the core value proposition that makes you relevant and valuable. So start this year with a clear articulation of your Unique Value Proposition to reach higher levels of success in 2023.  

Once you have answered these three questions, I encourage you to articulate a simple action plan for 2023 (Objectives, Outcomes/Evidence and Key Actions or Deliverables) to keep you focused and on point. Plans should be simple and live on one page. They become a management tool you can use each week as you create your to-do lists. 

To get you started, I have made available as a free download a simple 1-page template that you can use immediately to articulate your 2023 plan. 

I wish you great success (and great clarity) in 2023!