5GD: Clarity and Direction

As part of the launch of 5 Great Decisions, I recently had the opportunity to present a webinar for Defying Gravity, a nonprofit organization designed to support Baby Boomer women navigating the emotional and practical challenges of transitioning from their careers into retirement. At the close of the session, co-founder Iris offered a reflection that I loved: "The way I see it, 5GD is about clarity and alignment."

The 5 Great Decisions practice begins with a question:

What is the change you'd like to experience by making five intentional decisions each day?

Before making a single decision, you'll craft a Why statement — a personal declaration of what you want to create, change, or offer your future self. It might be achieving a specific goal, showing up differently for the people you love, or simply describing what you want your life to look like one, two, or five years from now.

The Why statement gives the practice its initial direction. It's your compass before you take the first step.

And then the practice does something you might not expect.

As you move through your days — pausing long enough to ask does this choice serve the person I'm becoming? — something beneath the why begins to surface. Not just the goal you started with, but the values driving it. The things that matter to you, separate from obligation, expectation, or habit.

No one who comes to this practice is asked to define their values before they begin. They come with their Why statement and show up for the practice. What emerges over time is something they hadn't gone looking for — a quiet but unmistakable sense of what matters most, and a growing confidence in their ability to choose it.

That's what clarity looks like inside 5GD. Not something you have to work hard to find — something that surfaces naturally when your intention is clear. Each decision becomes an opportunity to act in your future self's best interest.