The clarity practice
What to do when you don't know what to do
I've devoted my career to developing a simple, powerful practice that helps us listen for and do what's needed. Built on Buddhist principles - but refined through 15 years of professional coaching - my clarity practice is easy to learn and widely relied on.
What is the clarity practice?
When Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Air the 'wow' was that Apple had made a laptop that would fit inside a standard A4 envelope. The clarity practice is a bit like that.Here, laid out on one piece of printer paper, is every question I ever ask anyone I work with.Someone recently asked me what my elevator pitch was. I said the thing I say most often is that people can come to me with any problem and we basically always solve it.And we basically always solve it just by asking and answering the questions on this page.
How does it work?
The clarity practice is all about commitments. Not what do you think or even how do you feel, but what are you doing?Whatever the problem, the root of it is always the same. Either we are doing something we don’t need to do, or we are not doing something we need to do.When there is a gap between what we need and we’re doing, it hurts. And by paying attention to that gap, clarity practice helps us find our way back to doing what’s needed.
What now?
This is an invitation to practice.You can learn one-to-one. I become your clarity guide. The emphasis is on you bringing anything and everything hurts or isn't clear - and us finding our way through it. Over the course of (most likely) a year, we work through everything -- and you learn the practice along the way.Or you can join a 'small practice group'. I teach the practice upfront and then we use it to tend to the different areas of our lives (work, money, relationships, health and so on). The group is small so it can feel like we're all round my ktichen table rather than in a classroom or something.
Work
If your work (your life) depends on you being able to listen well for the right next step, then you know how much clarity matters - and you know the cost of getting lost.I work mainly one-to-one and most often for a year or more. From the outside it might look something like leadership coaching, but rather than being coached, you develop a clarity practice you can rely on.If you've not worked with me before and have something you'd like to get clear on, you can book a one-off online call - or come and visit me at home in Bristol, UK.
The way to work
If your work (your life) depends on you being able to listen well for the right next step, then you know how much clarity matters - and you know the cost of getting lost.I work mainly one-to-one and most often for a year or more. From the outside it might look something like leadership coaching, but rather than being coached, you develop a clarity practice you can rely on.If you've not worked with me before and have something you'd like to get clear on, you can book a one-off online call - or come and visit me at home in Bristol, UK.
Poetry for meditation
If your work (your life) depends on you being able to listen well for the right next step, then you know how much clarity matters - and you know the cost of getting lost.I work mainly one-to-one and most often for a year or more. From the outside it might look something like leadership coaching, but rather than being coached, you develop a clarity practice you can rely on.If you've not worked with me before and have something you'd like to get clear on, you can book a one-off online call - or come and visit me at home in Bristol, UK.
The principles of clarity
If your work (your life) depends on you being able to listen well for the right next step, then you know how much clarity matters - and you know the cost of getting lost.I work mainly one-to-one and most often for a year or more. From the outside it might look something like leadership coaching, but rather than being coached, you develop a clarity practice you can rely on.If you've not worked with me before and have something you'd like to get clear on, you can book a one-off online call - or come and visit me at home in Bristol, UK.
Floris and Charlie Solve Everything
If your work (your life) depends on you being able to listen well for the right next step, then you know how much clarity matters - and you know the cost of getting lost.I work mainly one-to-one and most often for a year or more. From the outside it might look something like leadership coaching, but rather than being coached, you develop a clarity practice you can rely on.If you've not worked with me before and have something you'd like to get clear on, you can book a one-off online call - or come and visit me at home in Bristol, UK.
Poetry service
If your work (your life) depends on you being able to listen well for the right next step, then you know how much clarity matters - and you know the cost of getting lost.I work mainly one-to-one and most often for a year or more. From the outside it might look something like leadership coaching, but rather than being coached, you develop a clarity practice you can rely on.If you've not worked with me before and have something you'd like to get clear on, you can book a [one-off call] - or come and [visit me at home] in Bristol, UK.
About
[The clarity practice] really constitutes my life's work.But, alongside that, I'm always looking for other ways to help people find clarity more easily.[Poetry for meditation] is a very short book that offers a simple daily meditation practice.[The principles of a clarity] is a six-week online retreat for individuals or teams.[I thought I was on the way to work, but I was on the way home] is a retelling of Lao Tsu's Tao Te Ching.[Polyhymnia] is a 'sacred poetry service' - seeking to offer the words that are needed, when sacred words are needed.The [happy money story game] is an unconventional approach to financial negotiation.And [Floris and Charlie Solve Everything] is a silly podcast I've just started with an old friend of mine.
CLARITY FOR PARENTS
Monday, 19th February
7.30pm-8.30pm (with optional after-party from 8.30pm)There are two things that I do as a parent that friends who are parents comment on.The first is that I use my ‘clarity practice’ almost constantly. Finding my way through the infinite small decisions that come with wrangling small children. It means I am (basically always) able to find my way to doing what’s needed, without (very often) getting caught in doubt or guilt or… all the other things that also tend to come with wrangling small children.The second is that I have a lot of ‘bits’. Like comedians have ‘bits’ - little routines and bits of script and tricks they lean on. The kind of thing every parent has in their repertoire - like, ‘here comes the aeroplane’ to get a little kid to eat. Anything where you take something tricky and essentially change nothing but add a tiny bit of a game or story to it so it goes easier.My plan for the call is to offer a little bit of both. I’ll introduce you to Messy Penguin (or ‘how to teach non-judgmental awareness using a thumb-sized ball of playdoh). And I’ll give you a tiny sliver of ‘clarity practice’ to take home and test out in your everyday parenting.Would you like to come?The clarity practice is very, very established. It’s the only thing I use with all of my clients and it routinely solves whatever problem they arrive with. It’s widely relied on, very simple and very robust. So - that bit’s in the bag. But this is the first time I’ll be teaching about using it as a parent (though the topic has come up plenty of times in one-to-one sessions with clients).So, as it’s a bit of an experiment, there’ll be no fixed fee. Show up, enjoy the call and there’ll be a very-much-optional chance to contribute financially afterwards if you want to. And, I may well start an ongoing ‘clarity for parents’ group if this is fun.If you’d like to get sent a link for the call, click here to join this broadcast-only-you-won’t-get-messages-from-the-other-participants-only-me WhatsApp group.PS. Anyone can join, but so you know what to expect, I have a nearly-six-year old, so that is what I have most personal experience of.
A clear day
Make some proper space for yourself and for listening for what you really need.If there is a big puzzle that you need to find your way through - whether that's your business or your life - bring it to my kitchen and we'll talk, eat snacks, walk in the woods and find the way through.(I also don't mind heading to London, Brighton, maybe Amsterdam if you don't fancy the trip to Bristol.)"A brilliant day and wonderfully, beautifully, elegantly profound." - DN, leadership coach
Contact
If you think we should be working together, drop me a line.
Thank you
If you'd like to stay in touch, you can also find me on Substack.
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