The 5 Questions That Give You 10X Clarity

Hey, it's Christian Santiago here. Peak performance coach for visionary leaders and entrepreneurs. And in this video we're going to talk about the five clarity questions any leader can ask themselves that's going to show them what they really want and how to get there in a rapid time frame that's going to allow them to get massive results in a short amount of time. These are the same questions I asked myself to take me from struggling to pay rent, living on food stamps, to working with seven and eight figure clients in less than 18 months. And it's also the same kind of questions I asked some of my clients where some of them have experienced a quarter of a million dollars in profit in extra profit in two months, while also helping founders and entrepreneurs get their first 20k month cash collected, their first ever, just by answering these simple questions. And these are powerful because you will literally be able to go 10 steps forward as opposed to four steps forward and five steps back. And so these things really align you in your mind and in your heart and in your entire psychology. So that way your nervous system goes forward in one direction, being able to accomplish everything you really want. Enjoy the video. So, July 19, 2021, I was actually in a place of massive pain. You know, most of the time if what's going to cause people to change in general is either massive inspiration or massive desperation. So it's either a lot of pain or a lot of pleasure that's going to move us. And that's just how our nervous system is wired. That's also how people operate at their best in peak performance in general. It's like, hey, like there's such I feel out of peak at myself and that brings massive pleasure that allows us to then perform at our best, that then we get addicted to it, that then we want to do it over and over again. And so with this, July 19, 2021 was massive pain to a point that, you know, my wife and I were living on food stamps and struggling to pay rent and I didn't even have my coaching business at the time. I wasn't working with high level leaders like I am now. And I remember just literally getting to such a place of pain that I told my wife, I said, babe, I need to lock myself away for two days and get some answers because I need some clarity. And in that time when I locked myself away for two days, I was able to get clarity on what I really wanted, where I really wanted to go, what are the skills I need to master to get there, and who I needed to become in the process because who I was at the time wasn't good enough. And fast forward to where I was at that point. You know, after I got clarity and I came out the room for two days, I told my wife I've never felt more like my son in a while. I finally got some answers and my first four weeks brought in $22,000. First four months was working with a $360 million company, made my first six figures in cash by six months and then started being featured by LA Weekly, New York weekly as Greenville's number one high performance coach by month eight. Then fast forward to now. I mean like I've worked with a lot of eight figure, seven figure clients, help politicians on re election, all of that. And this was just back in 2021. So at the time of this recording, I mean this wasn't even a full 36 months. And these five questions I'm going to share with you I've also at When I first started my business, I gave out 72 clarity sessions in a two month period that got me eight clients in six weeks. When I originally wanted to get six clients in 12 weeks because that would change everything. I ended up getting eight clients in 12 week, eight clients in six weeks because I did 72 clarity sessions. From people who are just, you know, starting entrepreneurship journey to C level executives who have been seasoned for three decades in their role. And for some reason it seemed to work. And I want to share it with you because at the end of the day, you know, like nothing can stop you or what you're trying to build. When you really step into what you really want at the highest level, when you're very clear on your vision. Okay? Because when you get clear on your vision, like there is literally nothing in this earth that has the potential or the ability to rob you or to stop you. Because even if situations come up, you know, your competitor creates, you know, something that then could put you out of business. Guess what? If you are locked in on vision and it's so clear, then you see the vision more than the obstacle. To a point that it doesn't matter what happens, you will get around it because it's less to do with your resources and more to do with your resourcefulness that allows you to get to where you're going. But most leaders don't actually get to where they're going because their vision isn't as clear or it isn't what they really want at the highest level. And once you discover what you really want, you can't go back all Every area of your life, all parts of you, will literally pull you into one direction, into that one place. Because once you get clarity, everything changes. And so these five questions I'm going to give you is all to do with clarity, okay? All to do with clarity. Because once you get clarity, things shift. And even to a point, that. And before we jump into this, even to a point, I literally, literally two days ago, from this recording, two days ago, just had lunch with a CEO who just exited his company in New York. I live in Greenville, South Carolina. And we ended up having lunch, and we ended up having a conversation and talking through some of these questions. And like, he was so challenged by. This is somebody who sold his company for a good 8, 9 figure, okay? So he ended up texting me and said, christian, we need to meet again. Because I am inspired by your dedicated, deliberate thought. And it's because wherever you want to go, like, whatever you want to do, it all begins with questions. Because the things that don't matter as much are the answers. The things that matter more are the questions. Because if you get the right quality questions, your answers will change. And oftentimes, it's the search to answer that question that changes us. Because sometimes it's the journey that. That makes the biggest shift more than anything else, more than the actual destination. And so it's the quality of the questions that matter. And so I talked through some questions with him, and he was blown away because I have questions from our personal life. I have questions for my wife and I and our family. I have questions for our team and our company and what we're building and the work that we're producing here. And so it's the same with you. And so I say all that to say, let's jump in and don't pass by these questions. They might seem silly, simple, but they're deep. Okay? So first question we're going to jump into is, who are you really? Who are you really? Here's what I mean. Who are you really? If you were to strip away everything, strip away your title, the money in your bank account, the titles you have, the cars you got, the possessions you own, the friends, the network you're connecting, if you strip that all away, or you strip away the ideals or the expectations that you need to live under, maybe you went to an Ivy school school because you felt like you needed to. I know somebody who literally went to Stan to Harvard just because their dad wanted them to do that, okay? Because that's what they did. And as an intellectual, I was like, what did you really want to do? And it wasn't even that. And so if you strip away everything, who are you really at your core? Okay, the reason why that is absolutely mindful and powerful is because most people don't know who they are. So they get involved in things that are not congruent with who they really are. And they're wondering why they either their business or their organization or in their role, they're not growing, they're getting massive tension. It's because you never really defined who you really are. What are your values? What do you stand for? What do you care about? How are you wired? Like, for me, you know, when I was shifting, you know, I was in the nonprofit sector, people thought I was going to be a lifer to where I'm at now, being a peak performance coach. Very money driven. And not necessarily, yes, I'm still impact driven, but I mean, I mean prosper, like, like the money, the, the side, that's what it matters for me right now. But it's like, okay, if I were to think about it right now, you know, who am I really? I am someone like in the nonprofit world, when they thought I was going to be a lifer, they thought I was going to be. So I had to be serious all the time. And I'm like, man, like, yes, I'm serious with like my clients. But it's like I'm like a guy who like says something intense but then makes a joke five seconds later. Like, it just doesn't matter. I'm just like, boob. Um, I'm a guy who's like super high energy. But at the same time too, I'm also someone who loves to be alone. So in that world, I was always face fronting. In that world, I was always around people. Sometimes I'm just like, I just want to be alone. Let me. Leave me alone. Who are you really? But then let's say you already know who you are, but you've changed for quite some time. It's who are you now? Who are you now? And one of the things for who am I really? Is I am really someone who loves working with leaders. I can't stand working with people who are just getting started. Not saying that I don't appreciate them or that I don't value them. It's just that the things that they're talking about don't really inspire me. Okay. Like, if we have to talk about motivation for you, that is an entry level thing. The clients I coach don't focus on motivation. We don't if, if we're talking about motivation, you're the wrong client for me. Okay? We're the wrong people to work with. Okay. Why am I not motivated? Okay, that's a problem. Okay, that's like getting into the game. So who am I really? I love working with complex situations, complex issues, complexity. I love working with leaders. I love who am I really? I am someone who genuinely loves challenging people who aren't used to being challenged. Leaders are usually challenging others. They're not used to themselves being challenged directly on some incongruencies or inconsistencies in their life, knowing that they're still operating at a high level. But if we get those inconsistencies to be consistent, they'll 2x3x5x10x everything they're touching in the moment. So something that I was like, I got a live about, who are you really and who are you now? So the reason why I say who are you now? Is because three years ago, close to three years ago, we're not three year mark yet. I asked myself, who are you really? But now that I know who, who I am now, I need to ask myself, who am I now? Because I am very different than I was basically nearly three years ago. I am very different. Who are you now and who am I now? Man, like, couple things. One, I am someone who even more is sold out to removing suffering from the lives of leaders. Whether it's paralyzing anxiety because they can't, you know, they've had such bad mistakes that they can't go on the trading floor anymore. They're a hedge fund and they can't do trades anymore because they, they lost a lot of money. Like, and they can't literally get their body to go into the office. Or they're depressed. You know, they just sold their company and they're depressed because they don't have another vision or that they are stuck with some addictions that are really robbing them of what they really want to go. Either alcohol or smoking, or they're addicted to anger and rage and all of that. And that is literally holding them back. Guess what? Like, who am I now? I am completely sold out. I didn't develop a passion for that before. So for me to have clarity. Clarity isn't something you do. It's something you consistently do. It's not something that, oh, I got clarity once. It's a consistent habit of that. Okay, so really answer that. Who are you really? Who are you now? Who are you now? Okay, before I cared about money. Now, yes, we care about revenue right now. But who am I now, man? I care really more about the impact and the work I'm doing. That's what I care about now. Second question, okay, is what do you really want at this stage of your life? And when I say, not what do you want ultimately? I say, what do you want at this stage of your life? There are some clients that I've worked with. They're like, man, I want to have that big B next to my name, you know, billionaire. I'm like, okay, but do you really want that right now at this stage of your life? They're like, I was like, with everything with your kids at your certain age, at your age right now, where you are at the stage of your company, do you really want that right now? No, I'm like, what do you really want right now? Okay, well, I need to get my company and profitability in the next six to nine months. Like. Like right now, we're not at a high level profitability. Our company still at eight figures as far as revenue, but profitability is down. And I need a. I need to get to us at $5 million profitability by the end of the year. That's what I really want right now. Okay. Okay. That big B is like, in the future. That's awesome. But what do you really want right now? Because it's your now that leads to your next. Your now that leads to your next. Most people focus on their next so much that they avoid their now. But without your now, you cannot have your next. And so really ask yourself, what do you really want at this stage of your life? In every single moment, like before, I was like, man, I really want a lot of money. And I defy what that is because we're struggling. We're all food stamps. I said, I refuse to have my son be born into a world of poverty because my wife was poor, pregnant, and my son was going to be born in six months. I mean, six weeks at that time. So July 19, son was going to be born in six weeks. I said, things have to change. And so that's what I really want at that stage. This stage is different because I've got two kids under three, and now I have a different desire of what I really want at this stage of my life. Okay. But since I'm so connected with what I really want right now, ultimately now I can run in that direction that without feeling like I'm held back. Okay, number three. Number three, what do you really want to be known for in the next three years? What do you really want to be known for in the next three years. So you get to decide now how you'll be remembered later. You get to decide now how you'll be remembered later. And so you've developed your now, but now you can decide your next. But we're not going to go five years, 10 years down the road, because psychology shows that three years is like the. The sweet spot. You know, one year is too close where you might feel anxiety to be like, oh, my gosh, this is what I need to go get. Five years feels too emotionally detached. Three years is almost that perfect sweet spot of what you should shoot for. So what do you really want to be known for in the next three years? You know, and most of the time, I set up it as an identity. So, for example, before, I was like, I really want to be known for a peak performance coach, like an actual peak performance coach. And that happened in 18 months. I was able to accomplish my vision in 18 months. Like, people started calling me and reaching out to me because I was helping people do turnarounds and lifting up the performance of teams and individuals and founders and all that. And it was like, man, like, I'm being known as a peak performance coach. Man. I've had hospitals calling me like, man, we have. This surgeon is doing a meltdown. We need you to help turn them around. Okay, awesome. Doing that. So it was like, that was amazing. Now what's my next thing? What do I now really want to be known for in the next three years? And for me, right now, I've already got that lined out. So I already know the next books I'm going to write. I already know the next courses I'm going to create and release. I already know the next part products I'm going to literally outline because of this. Once you have your vision of what you really want to be known for in the next three years, everything changes for you. You know exactly what you need to create. You know exactly the direction you need to go, because you want to be known for that without sacrificing your now at the same time. You get to have your now and your next. Okay, but now, once you define that, that's not enough. Because if you were already known for that, like, if who you are was good enough to be known for that, you would already be known for that now. But you're not. So that's why the next question is, what are the top three skills you need to master to become that person? What are the top three skills you need to master to become that person. What are the top three skills? Because that person that. That you. It was like that. Christian Santiago three years from now is skilled in these three areas that I was not good enough at that current time. My current self now is infinitely more skilled in those three areas than that. Christian Santiago was July 19, 2021. I didn't know diddly squat of the stuff I know now in terms of the area of skill acquisition now with who I am now. Ultimately, your skills determine the speed of your success. So if you're not where you really want to be, it's because you're not good enough now. But the way we get good enough now is we get tactical. We're not going to go randomly to get there because that's not going to happen. You got to be tactical on the skills you need to master if you want to get to really where you really want to go and who you really want to become. And so what are the top three skills you need to master? Outline that and be very specific about your skill. Like there's a difference team. I want to be a good communicator. Okay, what kind of communication is it inspiration or communication? Strategic communication? Is it executive communication? Is it storytelling? Communication? You know, there's different types of communication. So what kind? Be very tactical and specific on that. Because when you define your top three skills that you need to master, you now have a specific growth plan. Plan that you can say no to everything in order to be masterful in few. That's going to accelerate everything else. Okay, so number five, the last one was, what's the one thing that if this were to happen in the next 90 days, would change everything? So for me, once I defined everything of what I really wanted to create and what I really wanted to do the next, I said, what's the one thing that if this were to happen the next 90 days, would it change everything towards my vision? And I said I would get six clients. If I got six clients in 90 days, that would literally change everything. And I ultimately created my clarity session, which I started asking these same five questions to clients. I did 72 clarity sessions in two months. I ended up getting eight clients in six weeks, as opposed to six clients in 12 weeks. I ended up doing this with even one of my clients who said, who's a big land developer? And he said, man, Christian, if the one thing that if this were to happen, were to change everything, if I were to get one land deal that's outside of my state, if I were to do that, I know things will really compound, because he's 8 figure 9 figure on his balance sheet. And so it's like we dialed in on that for the next 90 days. And guess what? He found other opportunities in the midst of keeping his business afloat and growing it and doing the regular things he was able to do the. The things that changed everything in the direction that he would feel most alive about. And so if you were to ask yourself these five questions, ultimately, they change everything. Why? Because question one is about identity. Okay? Question two is about desire. Question three is about influence. Question four is about skills, skill acquisition. And question five is about outcome. Okay? But everything begins with identity, because how can you know what you want if you don't even know who you are? But if you don't know what you want, what you really desire, how do you know who you want to become at the top, highest end? Then guess what? Once you become who that. That person who you really want to become, now, you need to add some skills onto that. Then let's focus on an outcome that's really going to transform and create real momentum. Okay? So really take some time. Answer these five questions, and I guarantee you're gonna have more clarity than you've had in a while. And very few people. I'm gonna tell you this. 99% of people who watch this video will not do this. But the 1% who do will get massive results in a short amount of time because you're gonna have such a roadmap that no one else has. All right, so Chris Santiago here again. Subscribe. Share this. Share this message with other people. This video and. And if you want a peak performance coach or a growth strategist that can take your company from 1 to 5 million, 5 to 15, or 15 to 50, totally let us know. Click the link in our bio, I mean, in this video. And connect with us at the Greatness Institute. Have an incredible day. And remember, operate at your peak, because there's way more things inside of you than you even realize. I'll see you in the next video.