This photo was me a couple of months ago, towards the end of my 3 week Camino de Santiago adventure, at the end of a full day of hiking with all my worldly goods on my back. Despite being sore and tired, as I sat ordering my dinner, I was relaxed, clear and happy.  
 
I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve brought back with me by way of lessons. One has been the realisation that — despite what our over-consumptive culture tells us – I actually need very little. There was a lightness that came with not being weighed down with stuff, and I am now acutely aware of how much I’ve accumulated over the years and the impact it has on my head space. Marie Kondo would be proud. 
 
So what’s my reflection?  
 
All the systems and data that are there to make us more efficient can leave us feeling over-stimulated and overwhelmed. Clarity is often the first casualty, making it so much harder to see the path ahead, forcing even the most obvious of decisions to seem out of reach.  
 
This is an issue for leadership, where conveying clarity is necessary to provide vision, direction and safety to the teams. But the difficulty in finding clarity right now can also prevent us from taking steps in our life, keeping us too long in situations that aren’t good for us and holding us back from finding our true path. 
 
I remember the clarity that came with the daily simplicity of the hike. With a clear head, my decision making was faster and my intuition was heightened.  It’s clarity that sets us free, that allows us to transform ourselves, those around us, and our businesses. But it’s only possible if space is provided for it to emerge, and if we we shed the layers of accumulation that weigh us down.