One of the most important assets you will need as you seek to become a better person is clarity of thought. This skill is so crucial and valuable that others mistake it for intelligence. People who are able to think clearly are seen as intelligent people. Clarity of thought simply means you are able to think and see the actual picture of how things are and related factors. It helps you focus and make decisions without being blindsided or manipulated by

errors in reasoning, or a clouded judgment.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and you moved from one subject to the next without fully exhausting each subject? I have been in such conversations. I don’t know if it was exciting but I am sure we did not have a clear idea why we were discussing a particular subject or the conclusions/lessons we could draw from it. I have seen this happen in TV or Radio interviews too where the moderator just kind of follows whichever direction the conversation takes without finalizing what led to the new twist of the interview.

If you lack clarity of thought, you’ll probably exhibit such behaviors as follows:

• Constantly questioning yourself and what you’re doing.
• Asking others for their advice about almost everything.
• Saying yes to everything because you’re not sure what to prioritize.
• Being overwhelmed with ideas and never knowing which one to work on first.
• Starting creative projects but failing to finish them.
• Making decisions that are out of tune with the situation

Lack of mental clarity is a dangerous disease. It makes people have multiple love affairs at once because they are not sure of what they want. It makes people be discontent with their lives because when a blessing comes to them, they don’t recognize it as such or its magnitude and hence end up under-appreciating it.

Two levels of mental clarity

1) Day-to-day state

This is the level of mental clarity that you have on a continuous basis everyday minute, every second. This is the level that helps you focus, get things done, and communicate clearly. This level of mental clarity is the one that constantly reminds you of your priorities and helps you navigate the chaotic world of distraction we face today.

Clarity at this level is mainly determined by how strong your mind is in pursuing your goals and pushing off things that you are sure won’t help get to where you want

2) Case-by-case

This level of mental clarity is the one that guides you in making decisions for any situation you might be facing. You have to be able to see the situation and its related factors as clearly as possible. Regardless of how gifted you might be mentally, you may not be able to achieve mental clarity at this level if you don’t have prior information. This background information will help you put things in their rightful perspective and you won’t have blind spots.

Another important factor that helps clarity of thought at this level is your ability to recognize cognitive biases that may cause you to make a faulty, subjective, and wacky decision.

What can you do to clean your mind?

1) Identify what matters.

• Define and set your goals
• Sketch your path and set timelines for achieving these goals
• Write a to-do list every day and make it a point to execute every item on that list

2) Get quiet

• Find time for meditation. The evening or morning is a perfect time to meditate. Meditation helps clean up the sludge from your brain pipes so that thoughts can flow smoothly and clearly. It helps you put things in perspective.

3) Write to get clear

• Whenever you are facing a situation, you need to make a decision, and take the time to write and describe the scenario. Writing is a very effective way, not only to express your feelings but also to make things as you strive to paint the picture as it is.

4) Read widely

• Regardless of whatever field of work or line of business you are in, you must make it a point to read about it as widely as possible. You never know when you’ll need to use the information in making a crucial decision or exploit an opportunity. Without a thorough knowledge of your line of work, you are always incapacitated mentally and you put yourself in a position to get your ass kicked by competitors

5) Watch out for cognitive biases, stereotypes, and prejudices

• These are the biggest devils that prevent you to have clarity of thought. There are many of them and you have to be able to recognize them during the decision-making process. Business Insider has compiled a list of 58 cognitive biases here but I also highly recommend that you read Rolph Dobeli’s book: “The Art of Thinking Clearly”

6) Don’t multitask

• Make it a rule to find one thing that you are doing and dedicate all your energies and time to it.