January Renewal: Clarity as an Anchor for the Week Ahead

January always carries a sense of renewal. New goals. Fresh projects. A clean stretch of calendar.

And yet, I’ve seen the same pattern in clinical work and in leadership: the energy of beginnings can slide into confusion if we aren’t clear about what matters most.

Clarity isn’t a slogan. It isn’t a prettier slide deck or a longer plan. Clarity is knowing what we’re actually trying to accomplish, why it matters, and how we’ll recognize progress when it shows up.

Without that, even good people doing good work can feel scattered. Teams pull in different directions. Meetings multiply. Priorities compete. Frustration grows. Energy fades.

The good news is that clarity doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s one honest statement or one thoughtful question said at the right moment.

Here are a few examples that work in real life:
• “Here’s what success looks like for us this week.”
• “If we can do one thing well in the next five days, what should it be?”
• “What outcome matters most in this decision?”
• “What are we doing that looks busy, but isn’t moving the needle?”

I also want to say this plainly: clarity doesn’t mean rigidity.

Healthcare is full of shifting variables—patient needs, staffing realities, system pressures, unexpected turns. We adapt. We have to. But clarity gives us an anchor. It helps us return, again and again, to the heart of the matter: what truly matters now?

If you want a simple January habit that tends to pay off quickly, try a 10-minute “clarity huddle” early in the week (or at the start of a service day). Keep it brief. No speeches. Just alignment.

Three questions:
1) What matters most this week?
2) What could get in the way?
3) What do we need from each other to succeed?

When that becomes routine, two things usually happen: (1) people waste less energy guessing, and (2) the team starts to feel steadier—even when the week isn’t.

This month’s invitation is simple: begin by naming one thing that matters most in your work right now. Share it with your team. Put it somewhere you can see it. Hold it lightly, but hold it.

When we start with clarity, the year doesn’t just fill with activity.

It fills with purpose.