Review and Preview CLARITY: Part 1
Here’s what you need to note in your diary for the Review stage. It begins with looking directly at the challenge and using the seven steps known as CLARITY.
Review – Seven Steps Known as CLARITY
Part 1
C – The Challenge
L – Learn Instincts
A – Assess Identity Beliefs
R – Root Causes
I – Interrupt and Breathe
Part 2
T – Traits (SQAs)
Y – Your Identity
1. Focus on a Past Challenge
Think of a challenge or stressful moment you’ve handled recently. You’re going to “use the difficulty” to Review it.
This challenge can be big, small, or just an everyday niggle. All of them work. In fact, smaller routine challenges often work best at the beginning. My clients found it easier to recognise their strengths in everyday situations than in the big, overwhelming ones.
Minor challenges let you think clearly, spot what went well, and practise the R&P process without pressure. Since R&P is a regular drill, these everyday issues will play a huge role.
Once you’ve Reviewed a few common situations, you’ll be amazed at how much insight you gain from every experience, large or small, through CLARITY.
If you want a private space to work through this properly, you’ll find the Review template in the Library inside the 7 Skills App. The link is at the bottom of the page under ‘Indexes’.
2. Learn Your Instinctive Reactions
When you Review a past challenge, note the impact it had on you.
How did you react? How did it affect your thinking, behaviour or performance?
Pay attention to:
- emotions and thoughts,
- changes in mood,
- physical signs (heartbeat, heat, trembling, butterflies, queasiness),
- milder reactions like nerves, dithering or self-doubt,
- the final outcome.; did you feel embarrassed, frustrated or restricted?
- did it trigger Fight, flight or Freeze?
When you’ve done this a few times, you’ll start spotting patterns. You’ll recognise the very first signs that a stress reaction is beginning.
This close observation gives you rare insight into how your System 1 operates. Most people go through life unaware of these patterns. Awareness gives you choice.
With practice, you’ll catch your knee-jerk reactions as they arise. You’ll respond with poise rather than impulse. You’ll choose your reaction instead of being owned by it.
Through this inward focus, you learn how your mind works under pressure. With time, you’ll know exactly what to do to stay steady, calm and in control, whatever the challenge.
3. Assess Identity Beliefs and Reflex Thoughts
Your Identity and your Identity Beliefs shape your response to difficulty. The moment stress hits, System 1 activates these deep beliefs around Safety, Belonging, Esteem and Capability, and uses them to create your Edited Reality.
If your Identity Beliefs are uplifting (IDQ 22–32), you stay confident, and your strengths take flight. If they’re limiting (IDQ 10–0), you feel nervous, constrained and uncertain.
Your Identity Beliefs also shape the first words and thoughts that tumble into your mind. Those “reflex thoughts” are a direct window into your Identity.
Sort through your feelings and pick out the most instinctive thoughts that appear in the heat of the moment.
To surface your Identity Beliefs, ask yourself:
- “Why is this a problem for me?”
- “What’s important to me about this?”
- “What does this mean to me?”
- “Why am I worried about this?”
Ask these questions two or three times, drilling deeper each round. You’ll uncover the belief that sits beneath the reaction.
Example:
A client was stressed about a forthcoming job interview, and asked himself:
“Why is this a problem for me?”
→ “I don’t want to mess it up.”“What’s important to me about this?”
→ “I need to prove I’m capable.”“What does this mean to me?”
→ “If I fail, it reflects on my worth.”“Why am I worried about that?”
→ “Because deep down… I fear I’m not good enough.”
That final line is the Identity Belief driving the nerves.
These limiting Identity Beliefs often collapse into a single core belief. In this work, I call that belief a Sacred Flaw.
Most people carry one or two core beliefs like this. If you want to see how yours are shaping your Identity overall, the IDQ Snapshot in the 7 Skills App will show you.
You’ll hear Identity Beliefs everywhere
4. Root Cause
Once you know what to listen for, you’ll hear Identity Beliefs constantly, in yourself, in friends and family, in colleagues, in strangers.
Notice your reflex thoughts during tiny accidents. When you trip or spill something, what’s the first phrase that pops out of your mouth?
Try taking a long breath and adding:
“…because…”
Then let System 1 fill in the rest.
When Ananya breathed and said, “I can’t do this… because…”, the phrase “I’m useless” appeared instantly. That was her most limiting Sacred Flaw.
At this point, most people can hear it clearly. The Sacred Flaw isn’t a new idea; it’s the Sacred Flaw that’s been there all along.
Connect Your Reaction to Identity Beliefs
Now that you understand your Identity Beliefs, link them to your stress reactions.
How does a specific belief trigger your thoughts, emotions or behaviour?
Remember: Sacred Flaws are old, outdated and unhelpful, formed when you were a child.
What empowering new belief could replace them?
5. Interrupt and Breathe
Once you’ve surfaced the Identity Beliefs driving your reaction, you can interrupt the process that leads to stress.
Whenever you notice your warning signs rising:
- Compose yourself with 7-11 Breathing
This keeps System 2 switched on.
The key is timing. Interrupt and Breathe works best at the very first flicker of a reaction, not once stress has fully taken hold. Each time you catch that early signal and pause, you weaken the old pattern and strengthen the new one.
- Challenge the Sacred Flaw
Replace it with a belief that fits who you are now, stronger, wiser and more capable.
Think of the Sacred Flaw as old software.
R&P is the upgrade.
“Interrupt and Breathe” works like turning the system off and on again, breaking the automatic cycle and letting you regain control.
Whenever you spot the early signals, breathe and challenge the belief.
The Power of Review
The CLARITY Review drill helps you:
- understand your emotional reactions,
- detect reflex thoughts,
- reveal underlying Identity Beliefs,
- interrupt the stress cycle,
- stay clear-headed under pressure,
- unlock your strengths
With practice, Review becomes instinctive. You notice the signals, interrupt the pattern, and respond from a clearer, more capable sense of who you are now, instead of beliefs formed years ago.
Up Next: Learn Your Superpowers (Part 2 of CLARITY)
With the final two letters of CLARITY, T and Y, you’ll discover your hidden strengths and learn how to turn them into confidence, resilience and high performance.
You will learn how to:
- spot strengths that drive capability,
- build confidence from within,
- stay calm when challenges hit,
- rewrite old Identity Beliefs into uplifting new ones
Many surprising insights await you.
Click here to continue: How to Review with CLARITY – Part 2
Review & Preview Links
Introducing Review and Preview
How to Review with CLARITY – Part 1