“My job is to make sure they’ve got the right mindset ready to play. It’s not always fun, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
- Coach Curt Cignetti
Earlier this week, I had the immense privilege of attending the college football championship to cheer on my alma mater, something I would not have predicted when I was a freshman at IU many years ago. But there I was, in Miami, watching Indiana’s coach and team take the field. As an alum, I felt proud. As an entrepreneur, leadership coach, mom, wife, empty nester, and midlife woman, I felt inspired.
They were not supposed to be there. And they knew it. But they showed up anyway. Focused. Unapologetic. Willing to take the risk. It got me thinking about guts, grit, and what it looks like to truly go for it in 2026.
Which brings me to something I see over and over again in my coaching work, especially at the start of a new year. Most people are not lacking motivation. They are lacking clarity.
Motivation is not the problem. In fact, many of us are highly motivated. We are driven, capable, and already doing a lot of things well. The real issue is that without clarity, all that motivation gets scattered. You work hard, but you are not always sure you are working on the right things or becoming the right version of yourself along the way.
Clarity is what helps you aim your effort. It forces you to slow down long enough to ask better questions. Not just “What do I want to accomplish this year?” but “Who do I want to be while I’m doing it?” How do I want to lead? How do I want to show up at home? How do I want to feel about my life when I look back on this season?
One reason clarity is so hard is because we keep waiting for certainty. Certainty feels comforting. It promises answers, guarantees, and a sense of control. But certainty is rarely available, especially if you are doing anything meaningful or growth-oriented. If you wait until everything feels clear and safe, you will likely stay stuck.
Clarity is different. Clarity says, “Based on what I know right now, this is my best next step.”
At a crucial moment in the IU vs. Miami game, IU was on 4th down and ready to kick a field goal. Coach Cig decided to take a time out and use those seconds to talk to the guys about going for it. There was no certainty, but there was clarity that they believed in their ability and they had practiced hard for this moment. The desire to take the risk outweighed any fear of the other team. They went for it, and not only did it pay off, but it became one of the most exciting plays in college football history.
If you are hitting reset this year or just at a life crossroads, take a time out. Seek clarity, not certainty. You don’t need a perfect plan, but you do need honesty, reflection, and a willingness to decide.
The way you make really hard things happen in life is by believing you can make really hard things happen.
And then, you move.
Movement matters more than people realize. Sitting still often just creates more overthinking, which most of us already have covered.
My Hoosiers had clarity about who they were, how they wanted to play, and what they were willing to risk. Then they stepped onto the field.
As you step into 2026, my hope for you is not more motivation. I’m guessing you already have that covered. My hope is clearer direction, deeper self-awareness, and the courage to act on what you know, even when the outcome is not guaranteed.
Sometimes going for it is the most clarifying thing you can do.
TWO TIPS FOR TO FIND CLARITY
1. SEPARATE FEAR FROM INTUITION
Fear is often louder than our gut which means we need to get quiet. Our gut is so often right but getting aligned with it takes effort. Remove everyone else’ opinion from the equation and then ask what you would advise a close friend to do. Write it down and read it back to yourself.
2. DECIDE THE NEXT STEP, NOT EVERY STEP
Clarity doesn’t come from mapping the entire journey. It comes from knowing where you are, where you want to go, and choosing the first step in between. We often over-plan to feel safer, but certainty rarely shows up just because the plan looks pretty. Write down your destination, your current reality, and one concrete step you can take this week. Then take it.
Traci Schubert Barrett is a Nashville-based keynote speaker and founding executive of HGTV, where she helped grow a fledgling idea into a billion-dollar brand. After two decades in media, she walked away to ask a bigger question: what if there’s more than success? That question became her award-winning book, What If There’s More?: Finding Significance Beyond Success, and her Healthy Ambition™ framework, which helps leaders and entrepreneurs achieve high performance without burnout. She is co-founder and President of Navigate the Journey.
