LEE ANN LAU, MD

THE CLARITY PROJECT:

MY JOURNEY FROM DOING TO BEING

Who hasn’t had a trainwreck week? The one where work runs late, the meticulously packed schedule unravels, and plans - which have been eagerly anticipated for months - fall apart?

In March of 2015, that was me. The moment when I felt completely demoralized in my life wasn’t during a complex surgery, but on a Thursday afternoon as I was supposed to be heading out for a much-anticipated spring break trip. The car was packed and my family was waiting, but I couldn’t leave clinic on time. 

I cried the whole drive home. I wasn’t just late; I was crushed. I arrived to see my deflated children and realized I was failing to be both the parent and physician that I wanted to be. I was drowning in "doing", with no room left for "being".

That moment - and the reflection that followed - was my first brush with intentionality, a forced confrontation with my reality. I evaluated my life as a busy surgeon, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. The numerous demands frequently left me feeling overwhelmed and stretched thin. I often felt as though I was not excelling at anything and merely going through the motions. I finally asked the question that changed everything:

What do I want my life to look like, and are my actions truly aligned with my priorities?

The answer was a resounding “no”. I was letting life unfold around me. To live by my priorities, I needed to intentionally make decisions that aligned with those priorities. I couldn't solve this with "life hacks" or shortcuts. This realization enabled a courageous decision. I would leave my full-time career as a surgeon, and my family would travel the United States and Canada in an RV for 15 months. This "life architecting" was a physical manifestation of the choice to live in alignment with my values.

Since then, I've discovered that while this decision seemed extraordinary to others, there was nothing unique about our family. The only difference was that we did the hard work of asking what mattered and then focusing on it. To the outside world, it may have seemed as though I was stepping off the grid - running away from stress; in truth, I was running toward my values. This wasn't a vacation; it was a radical pivot and served as proof that we have the power to design our lives, rather than simply enduring. This transformation has enhanced my life-satisfaction and confidence in my decision-making.

This confidence allowed me to step off the typical career path. I returned to surgery but eventually pivoted again, moving from the operating room to palliative medicine - giving me a unique perspective held by fewer than 100 physicians in the US:

• As a General Surgeon: I function with surgical precision and clarity. I am trained to assess complex situations, see options accurately, and choose a path decisively.

• As a Palliative Medicine Physician: I witnessed the power of deep truth and courage. I am unafraid of the hard, real, and messy conversations most people avoid.

• As a Coach: I understand the pressures of navigating life as a professional in a high-stakes career, while trying to also excel in personal roles.

I founded Claritas Life because I see too many brilliant people stuck in the same cycle I was. My coaching program isn't about giving you advice, hacks, or good vibes. It is a tactical ecosystem where we use real tools to intervene in your chaos. I know your potential; you are not someone broken who needs fixing - you are an evolving human system who occasionally needs alignment.

Coaching allows me to harness the skills I’ve developed over a lifetime - situational awareness, clear-headed thinking, and empathetic communication - to help you unlock your confidence to live with intention. It all starts with the courage to clarify priorities. It ends with  the journey from chaos to clarity.