Over the past few weeks, I’ve been asking leaders this question: What held you back from moving into your Masterpiece Work? Their answers most often related to the desire to KNOW what was going to happen and exactly where they were going before they made the leap from their Zone of Competence or Zone of Excellence into their Masterpiece Work.
The Right Place
Reflecting on this desire for clarity, I remembered an experience I had several years ago. I was going through a struggle. My Spiritual Director recommended that I study the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. I had no idea exactly where this was in the Bible, but knew it was in Exodus somewhere. So, I opened my Bible and came to the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land. I specifically remember this thought, “They’re crossing a body of water, so I’ll just study them crossing the Jordan.” Oh, foolish me! That wasn’t a good idea.
I knew after a day or so that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. I needed to be at the Red Sea, standing with Moses and the Israelites with the sea in front of them, tasting freedom, but knowing the Egyptian army was breathing down their necks. So, I found the right passage (it’s Exodus 14, just in case you want to know).
My Spiritual Director was right. This was the passage that really spoke to my situation. It wasn’t hard to find. I spent months mining that passage, learning, journaling, listening and growing.
Don’t Shortcut the Process
I gained a great deal of clarity through this experience. That clarity came because I started at the beginning of the process. I didn’t try to shortcut the process by skipping ahead to the end but went through the process from the beginning.
I wanted a quick lesson and a straight line from struggle to new perspective, but that’s not how it works. While it’s good to begin with the end in mind, it’s also important to start where you are and allow the process to unfold. Skipping steps at the beginning so you can more quickly get to the end is counterproductive. You may get somewhere, but it’s probably not where you really need to arrive. It often leads to jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
The Clarity Spiral
Will Mancini teaches a concept called the Clarity Spiral. We want a straight line from point A to Point B.
But that’s not reality. Reality says we gain clarity as a process, moving slowly at first, but gaining momentum over time as we move closer and closer to the clarity we seek. It goes like this:
Each point on the spiral is a new insight or learning. The distance we travel in the clarity process gets shorter as we move into more and more clarity. Through Reflection, we gain insight. As we Rediscover, the goal becomes more and more focused. We arrive at the goal of clarity at the central point, but not without trail and error, as well as patience as things unfold.
Just as with a labyrinth, once we reach the central point of clarity, we turn outward for our next steps.
In the Masterpiece Work process, you gain clarity as you identify where you make the biggest impact. In this process, you discover your true identity. With this knowledge, you Reframe your life in light of your identity. Now, you make decisions in light of your new-found clarity.
You determine the place, the people, the challenge where you will make the most impact in this season of your life. Your new-found clarity allows you to define your target, where you can make the biggest impact.
Recalibrate is the next step outward in the journey. As you recalibrate, you align your life to the destination you set as you reframed your life. The changes you make here will set your path so you can reach your personal Promised Land, the work God envisioned for you.
As you move further out in the Clarity Spiral – moving back into the open space, you move into your Masterpiece Work, the place where you make the biggest impact. This is your Promised Land.
The Israelites had to cross over the Jordan to reach the Promised Land, then work hard to possess it. Your work is not done, but you Rejoice in the work, the challenge, the opportunity to make an impact in your Masterpiece Work.
Seeking Clarity?
This is the Masterpiece Work process. It provides clarity through process, community and connection. Are you seeking clarity? Do you want to make a bigger impact but you’re not sure how? Have you hit a limit and you’re not sure how to overcome it?
An Invitation to Take Action
Join the Activate Your Masterpiece Mastermind! You’ll find a small community of like-minded people to journey with you into clarity and increased impact. We start the week of June 11. Join now so you don’t miss out on your seat in this intimate group of seven leaders.
