Achieving Clarity Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ben Morley
Welcome to the Achieving Clarity podcast. My name is Ben Morley; an Air Force pilot turned consultant. Each episode you will hear actionable tips and strategies that you can implement in your daily life, personal and professional, to achieve more clarity, purpose and effectiveness.
In the world of business, much like in aviation, how we respond to errors can shape our path forward. In this episode we look at stories of two pilot training students who experienced aircraft tail strikes during their training which offers valuable insights to each of us in our personal and professional lives.
In this episode, I discuss how we can spend significant time preparing ourselves academically and honing our physical skills for our professions, yet neglect to train and prepare our minds.
Being stuck in life at times is a normal part of living; some are micro and mini, but other situations can last for years and potentially the stuckness can become an identity for the person.
In this episode we talk about stuckness, the difference between its symptoms and root causes, and possible actions to help break the cycle.
In your organization, being able to increase awareness in your team regarding how they think about team design as the company grows is a great asset. By setting clear expectations about the future, you will reduce anxiety and help ensure that nobody is surprised when you make major changes to the way you operate your company.
In this episode, we look at the principles and key aspects required to successfully grow any organization.
For many people, setting happiness as a goal is bound to be a disappointment because happiness is a byproduct of a life well lived, of living from your authentic self. In this episode, we look at why happiness is secondary, and difference between it and joy.
When working toward being creative in anything we do, it can take a lot of energy. Your energy reserves are finite; you should not be spreading it around, wasting it on other stuff.
In this episode, we look at intentionally living simply - being boring - to allow you to utilize your energy for your most important pursuits in life.
This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind, the world’s first productivity shot. I have been using Magic Mind for quite a while now, and only wish I had discovered it sooner. I have more sustained energy through the day, I can get into flow state easier and I don’t suffer from the caffeine crash that can come with coffee.
Each shot contains a combination of 12 active ingredients designed to stimulate focus, creativity, energy, and motivation while decreasing stress, oxidation, and actually decreasing post-exercise inflammation in the body, which is a good thing. Ingredients such as Macha, Adaptogens, Nootropics and Honey combine to provide more productivity, and more focus, which I have been really enjoying.
Now with Magic Mind 4.0 it has an even better taste and create a deeper flow state from using it.
- For my listeners, purchase any Magic Mind pack with my unique discount code CLARITY14 where you will receive 20% off your first purchase, and 40% off of a subscription
Magic Mind has really been a game changer for me; I would not be endorsing it otherwise.
Visit the Magic Mind website at Magicmind.co;
- Use my discount code at checkout CLARITY14 to get 20% off your first Magic Mind purchase - and 40% off of a subscription
I think you are really going to enjoy the results from using Magic Mind.
In this age of information abundance and overload, those who get ahead will be the folks who figure out what to leave out, so they can concentrate on what is really important to them. Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities. Learn more about the beauty of subtraction in this episode.
Ever feel that you just can't control acting upon an urge you are feeling? Do you feel powerless trying to fight against these urges when they occur?
Urge surfing is a mental technique to observe and experience an urge without engaging in it; through urge surfing you learn tools to manage unwanted behaviors. In this episode, we examine how to use urge surfing whenever these urges are heading toward your shore.
Side projects and hobbies are important. In this episode, we look at these seemingly non-productive activities and how they can actually be the catalyst for creating some of your best work in the areas you really want to excel.
This was often the first question I was asked when I came back in the building from taking someone on an incentive flight. But every time I flew, whether with a student, another instructor or an incentive flight passenger, I considered who my “customer” was and how I could serve them best.
In this episode, we ask how you can best serve your customer, tailoring the content of your expertise to their particular needs.
In this episode, I share two stories highlighting leadership in action, and how even the best intentions can produce unintended consequences if performed incorrectly.
When people feel involved and invested, they go that extra mile. But in order to achieve this, the situation requires great leadership.
And, great leadership takes wisdom and discernment.
While I love my computer, I think computers have robbed us of the feeling that we are actually making things. Instead, we are just typing keys and clicking mouse buttons. In this episode, we look at bringing back the analog aspects of your work to spark and level up your creativity. While you're at it, don't forget to go outside and touch something real - a tree, plants, grass, soil, sand. It will do wonders for you in our constantly artificial world.
This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind, the world’s first productivity shot drink. I have been using Magic Mind for a few months now, and only wish I had discovered it sooner. Each shot contains a combination of 12 active ingredients designed to stimulate focus, creativity, energy, and motivation while decreasing stress, oxidation, and actually decreasing post-exercise inflammation in the body. You'll start to feel the full effects after taking it consistently for 5 days, with continued improvement through day 10.
Purchase any Magic Mind pack with my unique discount code CLARITY14 where you will receive 20% off your first purchase, and 40% off of a subscription.
To find out more, visit the MM website at Magicmind.co.
Young writers inevitably ask themselves the question, "What should I write?" And the standard answer is, "Write what you know." Nothing interesting results from this effort.
In this episode, we look at power of re-framing this question into how would you want to live, what product would you want to use...what book would you want to read?
Many of the successful CEOs that have become common household names are not necessarily the greatest leaders. With reference to Jim Collins' book Good to Great, this episode looks at the key differences between what makes a level 4 leader adequate and a level 5 leader great.
This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind, the world's first productivity shot. They are running a contest called the 14 Days of Magic Challenge. Here's how it works:
- Purchase any Magic Mind pack with my unique discount code CLARITY14 where you will receive 20% off your first purchase, and 40% off of a subscription
- Make a commitment to be your best self for 14 days. Create any content around the challenge and film it - Post it on IG, TikTok or YT with the hashtag #14daysofmagic
- At the end of the campaign (30 November), I will review all the entries and choose the winner
- The winner will receive a subscription of Magic Mind
- Additionally, all the views you generate will be matched in cash as donations to the Rain Forest project
- Magic Mind will accomplish their Rain forest donation live on the 30th of November on their Instagram channel
- GO TO magicmind.co/14daysofmagic → where you can find more info on the campaign.
Whenever we start something new it is easy to get discouraged when it is not going well and feel the urge to stop. In this episode, we discuss the difference between copying from those who are our heroes instead of plagiarizing, and how to develop copying into emulating the desired craft into something that is uniquely our own.
This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind, the world's first productivity shot. Each shot contains a combination of 12 active ingredients designed to stimulate focus, creativity, energy, and motivation while decreasing stress, oxidation, and decreasing post-exercise inflammation in the body.
During the month of November Magic Mind is hosting the 14 Days of Magic Challenge, encouraging you to become your best self for 14 days and share your journey with others - here's how it works:
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Purchase any Magic Mind pack with my unique discount code CLARITY14 where you will receive 20% off your first purchase, and 40% off of a subscription
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Make a commitment to be your best self for 14 days. Create any content around the challenge and film it - be creative!
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Post it on IG, TikTok or YT with the hashtag "#14daysofmagic"
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Submit the content through the link (https://www.magicmind.co/14daysofmagic)
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At the end of the campaign on Nov 30th I will review all the entries and choose the winner
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The winner will receive a subscription of Magic Mind
Additionally, all the views you generate will be matched in cash as donations to the reforestation of the Amazon Rain Forest: Magic Mind converts all the views from the "#14daysofmagic" postings into cash and then sends the proceeds to the Rain Forest project through their partner Pachama
- For every 10,000 views the #hashtag gets on social media, Magic Mind donates $10. Every 1 million views brings $1,000 donated. Their goal is to reach $30k donated. Go to magicmind.co/14daysofmagic where you can find more info on the campaign.
Remember to use my discount code at checkout CLARITY14 to get 20% off your first Magic Mind purchase - and 40% off of a subscription.
magicmind.co/14daysofmagic
In this episode, we look at how the artist cultivates ideas for their work and how it can apply to you. What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.
If we are free from the burden of trying to be completely original, to stop assuming that we must make something out of nothing, then we can embrace influence instead of running away from it.
In this second episode regarding your calling, we look at the different types of resistance you may encounter as you begin moving more in your calling for your life.
Discussing the role of a calling in our lives can be quite a deep water topic. In this first of two episodes, I work to define what your calling is, how it differs from a role, and how to attune yourself to the cues in everyday life pointing to your calling.
Imposter Syndrome may be something you have heard of, but may not know what it means or how it can affect you. In this episode, we delve into explaining this condition and its related terms - imposter phenomenon, imposterism, fraud syndrome - then we examine ways how to minimize its effect on your life so you can show up as your true authentic self in all situations.
All of us have the power to decide what leaves a lasting mark on our lives.
Pain and failures are just as significant as victories and joys, but we usually choose the former over the latter.
In this episode, learn the importance of etching your victories in marble, and your failures in dust.
When we go through a transformational time in our lives, the event can cause significant disorientation causing us to not know the way forward. In this episode, we look at some concepts shared by Boyd Varty on how to regain the right direction, or track, of the life we want.
Many times we build our identity - our homes - in other people's opinions of us, in our jobs, our roles, a career - which then gives those people or things the power to make us homeless. In this episode, I share with you the journey I have taken to excavate my authentic self - my home - and how this may relate to your story.
When it comes to what we are doing with our lives, so many of us want to know that we are making progress, that there is a path and that we are on it. We want the movement in our days to demonstrate that our experience is meaningful. In this episode, we discuss that common concern and re-frame it into something more genuine and worthy of your focus.
Drama has pretty much always existed in everyday life - the Greeks used drama extensively in their theatrical culture. However, drama stops being fun when your life starts to resemble one! In this episode, we look at why some people revel living in drama, what some of their root cause issues are, and four steps you can take to drama-proof your life.
In this episode, I share an article from Blair Braverman, a dogsledder who provides 7 rules he uses to keep his cool for any emergencies the outdoors throws him. Seeing as most of us are not dogsledders, these rules cross over very well for our personal situations so we can better keep our cool and think clearly for any situation we experience.
Of all the traits that great leaders should have, the vaguest and hardest to understand is probably “authenticity.” We’ve all heard it said that a great boss must be “authentic,” or “genuine.” But what exactly does this mean?
In this episode, we look at the definitions of authenticity, how and why it can be stripped away when climbing the organizational ladder, and what can be done to ensure you are authentic in all of your interactions, for the betterment of yourself and those you interact with.
Ever see social interactions going on around you where people tend to keep playing a familiar role, be it victim, rescuer, or persecutor? In this episode, we examine the Karpman Drama Triangle, what the roles are within in it, why people are consistently drawn to these roles, and a way to reframe it to a more positive outcome.
In 2020, the World Economic Forum said that the three most important skills for the future are #1 complex problem solving skills, #2 critical thinking, and #3 creativity. In this episode, we look at complex problem solving, the art of nuance, and if you like the color green...have a listen to see what I mean.
In this episode, we look at the Einstellung Effect and how it can hinder your problem-solving abilities. Sometimes, what you know can hurt you!
What is a vision you currently have? Does it stir emotions in you when you think of it?
Your vision may not yet be a clear idea you can articulate to people, but the passion and the energy you feel about that idea is the vision already manifesting itself within your world by means of the emotion you feel. Learn why that is a good thing, and what it means about the importance of your vision in this episode.
The so-called Great Resignation of 2021 has been making headlines for months now, as people have been quitting their jobs in droves. If the movement has a motto, it would be the word that’s been on everyone’s lips over the past 18 months: burnout.
In this episode, we examine what burnout is, some of the effects causing it, and some helpful tips to counteract it.
Many times in life we reach for relief when in fact what we really need is restoration - they are not the same. In this episode, we look at the differences between the two and why restoration is so necessary.
When trying to accomplish a project the traditional approach can be to work from the outside in, addressing the complexity as you progress toward the goal. In this episode, we examine how to Start With Zero, beginning with the end state, to enable success in your endeavor.
When we embark on a project, either at work or at home, it can be easy to move the goal line regarding what finished looks like in that project. What started as arranging the sock drawer can turn into remodeling the master bathroom...
In this episode, we discuss what finished should look like to you and your team, as well as a method to prevent the goal line from moving away from the original intention.
The aircraft instrument panel has many tools to help us determine what we are doing, how we are doing, and where we are. In this episode, we look at how these same tools can apply in your personal and professional life.
In every organization there are strategists and there are tacticians. In this episode, we discuss the differences and what actions each of these leaders should take to ensure success of their organization.
Is quitting something bad? Should we buy into the sayings that winners never quit, and vice versa? In this episode, we look at Strategic Quitting and how it can be of great help to you in your personal and professional life.
We have a plan for our lives, for our futures, full of dreams, goals, desires.
In this episode, we look at situation where these plans changed.
Thank you Tom, for being a resilient guide to people.
A goal is not a plan, a goal needs a plan. Every visionary needs a planner as their partner to help turn that goal into a reality. In this episode, we discuss the visionaries like Walt Disney and their successful partnerships with planners like Roy Disney, and why it is so important for you, if you are Walt, to find your Roy in this world. Doing so will enable your partnership to become a superpower.
Credit to Paul Scanlon for his excellent discussion on this topic.
We, as people, go through life so quickly, and likely are not aware of how much of life we miss because we live this way. The biggest opportunity that we miss is the impact that we could have in people’s lives if we would just slow down. In this episode, I share a personal experience I had with a leader in an effort to help bring awareness to each of our lives to slow down and be more intentional.
VUCA - an acronym for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity - can affect your personal and professional life, challenging you to find ways to orient yourself and how to respond. In this episode, we discuss the term and how you can navigate the experience so you can emerge stronger and better in your next chapter.
Setting boundaries in your life is vital to protecting your well-being. If you do not set boundaries then your life can be overwhelmed by other people’s priorities, other people’s energies, other people’s agendas, their opinions, and preferences that by default will take priority over yours.
In this episode, learn more about the importance of boundaries and the positive effects they can bring to your life.
Americans today spend 92 percent of their time indoors, and their physical and mental health is suffering. In this episode, learn how to use this three-number formula in nature to make yourself stronger and happier.
Many times in life we can be exposed to receiving help or instruction that we did not ask for, or it is coming at a time when we are not ready for it. As such, it can come across as interference.
Once that interference is internalized, which we are often first exposed to as kids, we can develop an allergy to it. Teaching something prior to an awareness of the need for it I think can be one of the biggest human flaws that we have.
Learn how to develop a deeper level of self-awareness, and avoid being influenced by those who might be trying to do you a favor in life by saving you from drowning, when in actuality you are doing just fine.
To learn more about achieving more self-awareness and clarity I offer the Apogee Clarity Method Masterclass found on my website at www.benmorley.com.
A technique a way of accomplishing something; a procedure is a particular course or mode of action and can be directive in nature.
Techniques can be learned from others or developed on your own, in the pursuit of accomplishing a task. Techniques are commonly used within the boundaries of procedural requirements. You likely use techniques throughout your day, be it in the way you arrange your activities at work to how you load the dishwasher after dinner.
A technique is optional - a procedure is mandatory.
In this episode, we look at how some people teach their favorite technique as a procedure, desiring to produce compliance from the student rather than provide a variety of methods on how to accomplish the task within the procedural guidelines.
The task is not important; the issue is the effort to exert control over the students by the instructor. Learn how to distinguish between the two.
To learn more about how to establish more clarity and purpose in your personal and professional life beyond this podcast, I have taken my nearly 30 years of flying experience around the world and distilled it into my Apogee Clarity Method Masterclass. In this course you will learn how to distinguish between the trivial many and the vital few, empowering you to become stronger and better in your next chapter. Find out more at www.benmorley.com.
This past year dealing with the pandemic has caused significant trauma to our hearts and souls. In this episode, learn how to create and implement a rehab plan for yourself, replenish the reserves, and revel in the joy of vacation and being with those we love.
We as humans do not grow in environments that we always control. In this episode, you will learn the benefits of getting out of control - not being crazy, obnoxious, or doing anything illegal - but by your choosing putting yourself into environments you do not control.
In this episode, learn the difference between curiosity and passion, and the impact it can make on your life.
Best is an ego word; better is a humble word. In this episode, find out why remaining in the realm of better is superior to best, in all aspects of our lives.
Creative people are not a segment of our population - everyone is creative. In this episode, we look at the definition of creativity and four points to help you awaken and flourish in your creativity.
In our instant gratification world, our Resourcefulness muscles can sometimes atrophy, thinking the only solution to our situation is more Resources. In this episode, we look at the superpower that is Resourcefulness, and how to strengthen this muscle in yourself and your organization.
The Sigmoid Curve indicates that everything - organizations, relationships, even organisms - follows a phased existence of Development, Introduction, Growth, Maturity, Plateau, and Decline. In this episode, we look further into what these phases mean and how to capitalize on them in your personal and professional life.
Lots of recent world events have made it easy to ask "Why?" in response. However, in this episode, we look at the benefit of reframing situations by asking "What Now?" first. I also introduce you to my Apogee Clarity Method Masterclass, which uses What Now thinking, to help you emerge stronger and better no matter what happens tomorrow.
In this episode, we look into what living a life on autopilot looks like, how drift can occur in our living, and how to correct it with intentionality.
Taking a checkride is part of being a pilot. In this episode, I discuss how I failed one, and the applicability it has to business and life as we grow and learn.
Situational Awareness (SA) is a valuable life skill that can be developed at any age; we look at the definition and some practical daily examples in this episode.
There can be many seasons in our life where we are in transition, existing in the in-between stage, the season in-between seasons. We may not have any language for it; we may feel we did something wrong or that we are behind our peers. In this episode, we discuss this, the "living in beta", and how to successfully navigate it.
In this episode, we look at the different relationships that should be created and nurtured in your life to generate full-spectrum leadership opportunities.
By training ourselves to compare only with ourselves we can build a hedge of protection around us, retaining our joy in countless endeavors, and avoiding the comparison game with others.
Life is constantly changing - and we should be as well. Understand the growth and opportunities we desire will require us to upgrade ourselves to a new version so we can adapt, grow, and flourish in the new seasons of life. In this episode, we examine the need to change and grow and the resistance we can sometimes face.
In this episode, we examine the joys of adopting more of a "Yes, and..." mentality in life, the value of improvisation, and a framework to consider for enjoying those "spur-of-the-moment" experiences that life can sometimes present us.
Within every organization, there are people at different stages in life, different motivations, different desires. It is the leader's responsibility to connect with all of them, validate them, and move the organization forward. In this episode, we will examine three types of these people and how best to work with and inspire them.
We can often fool ourselves into thinking we are truly learning a subject when in fact we are only achieving short-term mastery. This can help us with the homework sheet or tomorrow's quiz but is not preparing us well for the end of course exam. In this episode, we examine the different styles of learning, and the counterintuitive actions we should take to enhance our long-term, conceptual learning of a subject or skill.
We each know what a goal is and how motivated we can be to reach them. However, these are external factors that we can fall prey to receiving our validation. There is an unimaginable amount of abundance that begins to reveal itself when we connect to and stay in the intention to let go of our chasing something external, and allow life to fill us up from the inside.
Here is a link to the book I reference in this podcast, "How Wonder Woman Became A Smuggler" by Edie Little;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LSLDLT1
Each of us has a primary style of relating to others. Some of this may be God-given from birth, but other aspects of it might be a cause of wounding we have suffered combined with a strong desire for self-protection. We discuss three relational styles here and explore the reasons why we relate to others in the manner that we do.
Goals often masquerade as plans; in this episode, we discuss the differences between goals and plans, the superpower of planning...and of course Mike Tyson.
In order to move to the next level in life, there are certain things we need to stop doing in order to clear the way for our progress and success. We discuss five key things to stop doing now in this episode.
Burnout, be it personally or professionally, can have significant consequences for not only the person involved but also those in their organization and those closest to them outside of the office. Join us as we explore the issue of burnout and what can be done to counteract it.
Ego can sometimes be given the controls to our life, to our ship, leading to collisions with icebergs we knew were in our path but ego chose to ignore the warnings. In this episode, we look at the dangers of giving ego the keys to the car, or the ship, or the aircraft, and learning to instead navigate our life from our true, authentic self.
Leadership asking an employee to lead a project outside of their realm of expertise, with little to no experience in the matter, is a lot like asking the plumber to build the house. In this episode, we'll discuss how leaders can better handle tasks and projects that need delegation, ensuring plumbers are not assigned to home construction!
Framing is a psychological behavior of cognitive biases that we do not realize we have, affecting pretty much everything we do and consider and hold an opinion on in our lives. These internal biases can sometimes be viewpoints we have had from an early age. The older we get, the harder it is to realize these biases and therefore generate a desire to change them.
In this episode, we'll discuss frames, where they come from and how they affect us in our lives, and how to stay open to changing frames on the journey.
Each of us has familiar tools we use personally and professionally to deal with situations. The trick is knowing when to lay these tools down when faced with an unfamiliar environment, where maintaining a rigid, familiar response could lead to undesirable results. In this episode we discuss scenarios that may require the consideration of using problem solving methods unfamiliar to us, and to resist the urge to bend the situation into an environment that feels familiar to us so we can use our sacred tools, even if that's the wrong answer.
Author Kim Scott speaks about the importance of managers and leaders to engage the heart (care personally) and the mind (challenge directly) with their team members. Building strong relationships should be at the center of a boss’s job to positively impact the culture of the organization. In this episode we will discuss this in more detail, providing strong and poor examples of both, and the impact it has on company culture.
Hedgehogs see the world with a deep but narrow view of thinking - they know "one big thing." Foxes however are integrators, who "know many little things." In this episode, we will look at the differences between the two and examine the real-world results the hedgehogs and foxes achieve.
Which do you see yourself and your team as; more like a hedgehog, or more like a fox?
Goal setting is great, but often we can unintentionally stack the deck against ourselves from achieving these goals by oversharing them with others. Rather than making the declaration at the beginning, consider being a bit more discerning about who you share your goals with - then just start working toward them. Those around you will notice the change in you, then you can tell them about the new direction you chose...3 months ago! Here are some tips to help you set yourself up for achieving your goals.
When you are working on achieving any endeavor, strive to find a process that you can fall in love with outside of the goal you are working toward. In this episode we discuss why it is so important to find the process that works for you on your journey toward achievement.
In this episode we will look at the difference between finite vs infinite events in our lives, as well as the kind vs wicked environments we encounter. Knowing these definitions and how they apply to our lives will have a huge impact in how you interact with these realms.
It can all too easy for us to say yes to, agree to, commit to, events or programs or appointments that are "interesting" or "pretty cool" to us, only to later find ourselves overwhelmed physically / emotionally / mentally / spiritually by these commitments. Further, when something really cool comes along, a "Hell Yeah!" event, the previous B-level commitments make no room for the A-level activity you really want to do. Make friends with "No" - it is a complete sentence. Consciously commit to playing more defense from the influx of external offers and you will be rewarded with more intentional time in your personal account to offer to the "Hell Yeah" events that truly resonate with you.
Our thinking is key to pretty much everything in our life; it is vital to your future success, both personally and professionally. Join me in this episode as I read from the first chapter of my upcoming online course, where I discuss thinking, emotions, feelings and your body to prevent from living in the past and instead prepare yourself for great success in the near future.
Beginnings are notoriously difficult. They are wobbly, unstable and provide strong reasons to quit this endeavor. In this episode you will learn the value within these initial struggles and payoff to continue forging ahead in your endeavor.
Although it may seem difficult to grasp, all emotions are triggered by thinking. Sometimes it happens so fast you would swear emotion is independent of thought, but it is not. Emotions are static - they can't go anywhere, unless your thoughts drive over to their house and give them a ride. Stop letting your thoughts be the Uber driver for your emotions!
Values and culture can sometimes be used interchangeably, but there is a significant difference between the two. Values are your beliefs - culture is your behavior. Enjoy this episode as we discuss how to take your business from simply good to outstanding.
Change and transition are related but fundamentally different. Change is an event - transition is a process that we enter into in response to the change. Change in life is inevitable - transition is not. Transition needs to be a choice from us.
In this episode we will look at 5 key points to provide you with the narrative and tools to take an effective transitional response to change in your life.