Dr. Shadé ZahraiMake this Your Best Year Yet! 9 Steps to Greater Clarity in Goals
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:30
Why clarity matters before the new year (and what this video will do)
Dr. Shadé Zahrai frames year-end as a natural moment for reflection and forward planning. She sets the goal of helping viewers gain clarity so they can set the right goals and create momentum into the new year.
- •Year-end reflection vs. resolutions—either way, clarity comes first
- •Clarity enables better planning, visualization, and goal-setting
- •Her coaching focus: careers, limiting beliefs, and building an extraordinary life
- 0:30 – 1:30
The psychology of self-concept clarity—and a key mindset shift
She explains self-concept clarity and why it improves well-being, stress management, and performance. She then challenges the common idea that clarity is something you ‘find,’ emphasizing it’s actively created through intentional effort.
- •Self-concept clarity: clear, consistent, stable understanding of self
- •Benefits: psychological well-being, better stress handling, improved job performance
- •Reframe: clarity isn’t passive—it’s built through time and effort
- 1:30 – 2:01
Two premises that make the 9-step process work
Before the steps, she outlines two foundations: values must come first, and you must clear mental clutter from ‘shoulds’ to access real insight. These premises set up the reflective process used with executive coaching clients.
- •No clarity without knowing your values and what matters most
- •Create insight by clearing ‘should’ thinking
- •Commit time and effort to reach a desired level of clarity
- 2:01 – 2:16
Step 1: Create space to hear yourself think
Clarity starts with daily space to simply be present. She recommends practices that quiet the mind so you can connect with your true self and higher purpose.
- •Clarity requires time, stillness, and presence
- •Silence mental clutter to access deeper insight
- •Options: mindfulness, prayer, meditation, deep breathing
- 2:16 – 2:31
Step 2: Define your values (your internal compass)
She prompts viewers to identify what’s most important and why. Values provide direction; without them it’s difficult to know who you are or what goals truly fit.
- •Ask: What is most important to me—and why?
- •Values ‘light the way’ (Brené Brown reference)
- •Values clarity precedes identity clarity
- 2:31 – 3:01
Step 3: Identify your passions (when you’re at your best)
She guides viewers through sentence starters to uncover what energizes them and when they feel most alive. This becomes a roadmap for what to increase in the coming year.
- •Passions reveal peak states and natural energy sources
- •Prompts: ‘I’m most passionate about…’, ‘I’m happiest when…’
- •Use insights to dial up energizing activities next year
- 3:01 – 3:16
Step 4: Clarify your purpose (meaning and what you’ll struggle for)
Building on values and passions, she explores purpose as a source of meaning and fulfillment. She advises anchoring purpose in something bigger than yourself for durability and impact.
- •Reflect: meaning, fulfillment, and what you’re willing to struggle for
- •Purpose is stronger when it serves something beyond self
- •Examples: being a role model, helping others, making a difference
- 3:16 – 3:31
Step 5: Write a personal mission statement (verb + impact)
She translates purpose into a concise mission statement—an ‘elevator pitch’ for who you want to be and the impact you want to have. A simple structure helps: what you do (verb) and the outcome it creates.
- •Questions: Who do I want to be? How do I want to be seen? What impact?
- •Framework: verb (what you do) + outcome (impact)
- •Example provided: empower professional women → overcome obstacles/advance careers
- 3:31 – 4:01
Step 6: Visualize your 5-year future (write the next chapter)
She encourages creating a vivid mental image of where you want to be in five years, integrating prior reflections. Visualization, especially paired with positive emotion, supports psychological benefits and direction-setting.
- •Synthesize values, passions, purpose, mission into a 5-year vision
- •Use a ‘life as a story’ framing to design the next chapter
- •Visualization works best when coupled with positive emotions
- 4:01 – 5:02
Step 7: Set your life criteria (boundaries, FOMO to JOMO)
To make aligned decisions, she recommends defining criteria for accepting commitments and opportunities. Evaluating choices against these criteria strengthens boundaries and protects time and energy.
- •Define criteria for future commitments based on your 5-year vision
- •Evaluate opportunities instead of defaulting to yes due to FOMO
- •Decline/decommit when misaligned; build strong personal boundaries
- •Shift from FOMO to JOMO (joy of missing out)
- 5:02 – 5:32
Step 8: Choose one overarching priority for the next 12 months
Working backward from the vision, she instructs viewers to pick a single primary priority for the year. This creates focus and anchors the intentions behind specific goals.
- •Ask: What do I want to achieve this year—and why?
- •Pick one overarching priority to avoid dilution
- •Examples: promotion, industry change, salary increase, skill-building, business start
- 5:32 – 6:03
Step 9: Crystallize intentions into 1–3 concrete goals (and write them down)
She turns clarity into action by having viewers set one to three measurable goals that bridge today to the annual priority. Writing goals down and keeping them visible is positioned as a powerful cue supported by research.
- •Clarity → action → motivation → momentum
- •Set 1–3 concrete goals tied to the 12-month priority
- •Use visible reminders (Post-its/whiteboard/notebook)
- •Claimed research: writing goals down increases likelihood of achievement (42%)
- 6:03 – 6:55
Wrap-up: the 9-step clarity process and call to action
She summarizes the nine steps as a reflective roadmap to greater self-clarity and goal attainment. The video closes with an invitation to comment, like, subscribe, and a well-wish for the coming year.
- •Recap: clarity about who you are, where you’re going, and how to get there
- •Invite viewers to share thoughts on the steps in comments
- •Channel support: like, subscribe, bell notifications
