Giving Yourself Permission to Create Space for Clarity
By Kate Lemay, Founder of ETJ *
As I pack for our upcoming Vermont retreat, I’m feeling something I experience almost every fall: a deep need for clarity.
Summer at camp is intense. It’s a season of service, presence, and constant motion. Even with an incredible team carrying so much of the day-to-day work, there’s very little space to step back and ask bigger questions about where I’m headed and what matters most.
That’s why I love the fall.
Fall invites reflection. It creates room for the next round of intention.
Earlier this year, I mapped out my goals using Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Habits framework. Many of those goals were practical. I wanted a better spending plan. I wanted to improve my health. I wanted habits that would support the life I’m trying to build.
As I approach the final quarter of the year, I can see real progress. I’ve become more intentional with money. I’ve built systems that help me save and invest consistently. I’ve improved my health, lost weight, reversed my diabetes markers, and created habits that feel sustainable rather than temporary.
But what’s striking to me isn’t the progress itself.
It’s realizing that growth isn’t a one-time decision.
It’s a practice of regularly stepping back, taking inventory, and making small course corrections.
Just a little shimmy.
That brings me back to clarity.
Burchard teaches six areas of high
performance:
Clarity
Energy
Necessity
Productivity
Influence
Courage
The last few months, I’ve been especially focused on energy. I’ve written about Dandapani’s work around awareness, concentration, and directing energy toward what matters most.
Now I’m realizing there’s a step before energy:
Clarity.
What am I actually trying to create with an open heart?
That’s the question I’m carrying into Vermont.
For example, saying, “I want to fill retreats” isn’t clear enough. It’s too broad. Clarity asks for something deeper.
Who am I trying to serve?
What transformation am I helping create?
How do I share that message in a way that reaches the people who need it?
Without clarity, it’s difficult to create necessity. Without necessity, productivity fades. Without productivity, influence remains unused. And without influence, courage often stays locked away.
I’ve been reminded lately that knowing what we want is only the first step. We also have to be willing to use our voice, focus our energy, and take action.
Perhaps that’s why retreats matter so much.
They give us permission to step out of the noise of everyday life and ask the questions that are easy to avoid when we’re busy.
What’s working?
What’s not?
What needs a small adjustment?
Where am I being called next?
We live in a world that constantly pushes us toward action. But sometimes the most productive thing we can do is pause long enough to gain clarity.
That’s what I’m seeking this fall.
Not a complete reinvention.
Just enough space to see clearly what comes next.
For those joining us in Vermont, I can’t wait to spend time together. And for everyone reading, I hope you give yourself permission to create a little space this season.
You might be surprised by the clarity waiting for you there.
With gratitude,
Kate
Invitations:
- Journey with Christina Alexa through “Anahata, Satya & the Sacred Marriage: Crossing the Bridge from Ego to Source”.
- Check out Educator, Yogi & ETJ Enthusiast Loeretta Goodwin, Ph.D. this week! Her article, Elevating Kindness and Compassion: The Savvy Intern offers new perspective and resources for all, but particularly for youth in academia!
- Join community in a FREE Sacred Sunday Yoga class, every week 8 – 8:40 am!
- The Maine Retreat is shaping up to be amazing. Join us in Maine!
