Why Clarity Isn’t The First Step
Let's be honest—most of us with ADHD or fast-brained wiring have said this to ourselves:
"I just need to get clear first. Then I'll know what to do."
Sounds reasonable, right?
But in my experience (and in the experience of almost every ADHDer I know), this idea keeps us stuck more than anything else.
We convince ourselves that if we just think hard enough, research enough, plan enough—we'll arrive at a moment where the clouds part and the path is obvious.
Cute idea, but that moment almost never comes.
Here's why: clarity doesn't happen by standing still and thinking harder. It happens when you move.
Why "getting clear" can keep you stuck
There's a reason so many of us fall into this pattern. Our brains are wired for pattern recognition and possibilities. We can see a million ways forward—and that means we're often afraid to choose just one.
It's easy to believe that if we just had the perfect clarity, we'd avoid making the wrong move. But trying to "figure it all out" before taking a step is usually just a form of self-protection.
Because if you don't move, you can't fail, right?
Of course, the cost of not moving is that you stay in the same loop for weeks, months, sometimes years.
And what we forget is that clarity itself is something that unfolds through action—not something that shows up fully formed ahead of time.
How clarity actually works
Think about almost anything you've built clarity around in your life:
A relationship that became meaningful over time
A creative project that revealed itself as you worked on it
A career direction that felt aligned after you tried a few things
Very few of these things came from sitting in a room thinking about them for weeks. They came from trying something, seeing how it felt, and adjusting.
I can't tell you how many clients I've worked with who thought they needed "clarity" to start. Once they finally took a small step—sent the email, started the project, explored the idea—that clarity showed up faster than they imagined.
It's the doing that teaches you what works.
The tuning fork method
If you want a simple way to build more real-world clarity without getting stuck in your head, here's a practice I call the "Tuning Fork" method.
It's not complicated, but it works.
Once a week, take 10 minutes and ask yourself:
1️⃣ What felt energizing this week?
What gave you energy? What moments made you feel engaged, focused, or curious? These are signals to pay attention to.
2️⃣ What felt draining?
What left you feeling flat, resentful, exhausted, or disengaged? This is just as important. It's your nervous system's way of telling you what's not aligned.
3️⃣ What's one tiny step I can take this week?
Pick something small—not a grand plan. A conversation to have. A project to test. A question to ask. A skill to explore.
Keep it simple. The point is to stay in motion and notice what you learn.
You don't have to get it all right
Here's the truth: You won't figure it all out in advance.
And you don't need to.
The goal isn't to make the perfect choice every time. It's to stay tuned in and keep learning.
Every tiny experiment teaches you something. Every small step helps you build the kind of clarity that no amount of thinking can create on its own.
And when you trust that process, you stop waiting for the "perfect" moment to begin. You start building clarity as you go.
Something to try
Pick one small experiment this week.
A conversation that feels overdue
A side project that sparks your curiosity
A question you've been debating for a while
Let it teach you something new.
You'll be surprised what starts to unfold once you get out of your head and into action.
