What Do You Want?
What do you want? I don’t mean what fantastic things do you wish you owned or could do or could be. What reasonable things do you want in life that you do not currently have?
Do you want to be healthier?
Do you want to spend more wisely?
Do you want a nicer car or better clothes?
What do you want?
If you cannot answer that question, or if your answer is “I want nothing more than I already have” you can stop reading now. Rather, you can stop reading until you have figured out what you want. And all protests to the contrary notwithstanding, we all want something more.
Now that you know what you want, ask yourself how many times you have convinced yourself that you cannot have what you want because you “don’t have the time” or you “just can’t do it.” How many times have you given those and other excuses to yourself and to others when faced with the challenge of having more or being more?
The reality is that if you are being reasonable in how you define what you want, you probably do have the time and the ability to achieve it. You just need to be brutally honest with yourself and make a plan for achieving your wants and adapting your life for achievement.
After four-plus decades of a largely inactive lifestyle, I started going to the gym last year. I had the time and I knew that I did not have any rational excuses, so for about four months, I was a regular visitor to my local YMCA. Then I opened my own business and suddenly I had an excuse. I stopped going to the gym. I started to gain weight. Last week I realized that I had gained twenty pounds and that I needed to re-evaluate.
I was spending about half an hour each day stopping by my local bakery for a cup of coffee or tea. I would spend a few dollars that I did not really need to spend, just to get out of my office for half an hour or so. It was an unnecessary waste of money and a foolish waste of my time. In reality, I did have time to go to the gym, and I could save about $30 each week by going to the gym instead of the bakery.
I was crafting excuses to avoid the gym. I realize that now. You may be lamenting a shortage of cash each week even while you are eating take-out meals instead of cooking for yourself and clipping coupons. You may want a better job, but still be finding excuses to avoid taking the classes that you need to take to improve your career. You might want a lot of things that are within your grasp, if only you would reach out and take them.
What more can you be doing to get what you want? What obstacles are you putting in the way of your own achievement?
Like you, some lbs. were creeping back on, so I’m back to cooking and/or taking the time to make a healthy salad.
Well David, for the first time in my life, I think I can truly say that I am content with what I have and where I am. I dreamed of retirement, and that happened six years ago. I thoroughly enjoy it. About six months ago I began walking on my treadmill again, and I’ve been pretty consistent 5-6 times a week. I have enough disposable income to not worry, my bills are getting paid off, and we have a nice two week vacation planned for this summer. When the weather is nice, I golf weekly. I am truly content, and there really is no more “stuff” I long to have. Of course, it’s taken a lifetime to get here, but the trip has been worth it.