Wanting What You Want!

I know what you are probably thinking, after reading the title of this blog. Wow, that sounds demanding, perhaps even childish. If so, I have to say that my initial impression was very similar. I can honestly say that because it was a concept that my own business coach Dan Sullivan introduced at a workshop that I attended. Gee, I thought, we spend most of our life being told to be more modest about our specific wants. You know: just cover your basic needs, don’t stand out too much, “Be average…” Instead of being “just one more performer among many,” this concept almost sounded self-centered. But wait!

I started thinking about this more and thought, “No, this isn’t self-centered at all! What else would you want out of life?” If you cannot answer that last question, you have two choices. Either stop reading this blog or give it some very serious consideration. That statement applies if you are a businessman, a sales representative, a service provider to the industry or a stay at home Mom. Being your best will undoubtedly have a more positive impact upon our society and economy (perhaps especially for the stay at home Mom and the great citizens she can create!). You have probably noticed. Generally speaking, do things get better when we all move toward the average? No. They get better when we make big improvements, create new ideas, and build new services! Henry Ford never did a “Focus Group” to see what his customers wanted. If he had, they would have told him they wanted a faster horse.

So, what is the central theme of this “Wanting What You Want” concept? I believe it is really about deciding what you want from your business and life, and then pursuing those objectives. Once you have the goals written down, develop a plan to get there. What steps will you need to take to reach those goals? What obstacles are you facing and what are the options available to overcome them? What is a reasonable deadline for reaching your objectives? Once you have given serious consideration to these items and actually written them down, you are almost there.

What are the primary challenges that we need to overcome in this process? Allow me to provide you with several:

• 95% of us don’t actually know what we want. As a result, we often spend more time thinking about what we don’t want. So, instead of worrying about the fact that you do not want your banker asking you for more information, why not work on a plan to pay off your loans or, at least, get refinanced at a bank where you will be happier. Either way, you must decide what you want.
• Society seems to want us to be average. Remember the first time you outscored everyone in your class on an exam? What did most people say to you? “Hey, lighten up. You’re making us look bad…” These forces of average must be overcome. Why not be superior? Outstanding? The first step will be to decide what you want to accomplish and set up the necessary steps to get there!
• The greatest problem with many folks today is this. They suffer from TOM’S disease. That stands for “Terrified of Missing Something.” As a result, they will try just about anything, in an effort to get ahead. I assure you – you cannot afford this anymore. If you are currently living with the thought that you can, you are headed for big financial challenges…

Here’s the deal. We all know that business is getting tougher, so why not strive to develop a plan of action that will take you closer to your goals. Decide what you want, determine what actions you need to take to reach them, and remember that these can change as you proceed. Set some deadlines for your actions and their related goals, and then measure your results. Most of all, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to “want what you want.” Besides, you aren’t taking anything away from someone else when you seek your own goals. After all, they should have their own objectives. Think about it!