August 2018 Newsletter: How Big is Your “WANT TO”?

How Big is Your “WANT TO”?

Asking the question “How big is your ‘want to’?” is exactly the same as asking “How much do you want it?” Maybe you want to be a better student, a better athlete, a better husband or wife, a better parent or child. The intensity of your “want to” will determine your success in any of those roles. However, today I am asking you to consider the question “How big is your ‘want to’?” in terms of what you want to achieve in your career. When I think of my career, I relate this question to how hungry I am to succeed and how passionate I am about accomplishing everything I set out to do.

There is no magic formula for achieving what you want. Instead, it’s a combination of believing in yourself and believing that you deserve whatever your “want” is.  I challenge you to apply the following eight principles to ensure that your “want to”will be firmly embedded in your mind, heart, and soul.

1. Begin each day believing that something really good is going to happen to you. When you believe that good things are coming your way today, they are more likely to happen. Try talking to yourself in the mirror every morning and telling yourself what you expect to happen in your life today. Don’t be shy… you don’t bite! I like to look in the mirror in the morning and tell myself how productive I will be, because it gets me fired up and motivated

2. Have the attitude that your destiny is calling you and that you will get there if you make the journey one day at a time.The affirmation that “You don’t have to be great to get started, you just have to get started to be great” holds true. Understand where you are today in life and what brought you to this point, but never accept your current reality as your permanent condition. Do the best you can every day, one day at a time, to move closer to what you want. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to look too far ahead.

3. Never accept being average. Have you ever heard a great success story where the main character was content to be average? Not likely. No one else can be as effective as you can in pushing yourself to pursue what you want. Your time is valuable; don’t waste it. Avoid spending too much time with less motivated people who are doing average things. Success is contagious, and unfortunately so is laziness and lack of motivation. Choose your friends and your involvements wisely.

“If you limit your wants, then you limit your life”

4. Think BIG, dream BIG, and act BIG. I believe our thoughts are the prelude to our reality. When you “think big,” like the person you want to be, you will eventually act that way and then become that person. Trust me, this works. When you have free time, think about your future and envision what it will look like. If you “dream big” you’ll have a clearer picture of where you want to go. Finally, be sure to “act big” by treating everyone you meet today with the same consideration you would like to receive. Walk with a spring in your step and always have a confident smile.

5. Recognize that your words are your reality: speak highly of yourself and your abilities and you will manifest greatness. When you say things like “I could never do that” or “I’m not good enough,” then you will not surpass your low expectations. Always speak favorably about yourself with positive affirmations like “I can” and “I will.” We are what we think we are, and we become who we want to become. Remember, you are your biggest cheerleader!

6. Believe that your success is on its way and that there is no better time than right now to believe in yourself. As Napoleon Hill wrote in his book Think and Grow Rich, “If you can conceive it and believe it, then you can achieve it.” The reverse is true, too: if you don’t believe in yourself then you can’t expect anyone else to believe in you. Keep in mind that you have a God-given talent to shift your mindset today so that you can become the person you want to be. It’s never too late to become who you are supposed to be and do the things you are supposed to do.

          “Greet every day with the gratitude you are still here”

7. Reduce the amount of negativity in your life. Stay away from people who bring you down, people who want to see you fail, and people who don’t believe in you. Negativity is a poison that will infect you unless you stay far away from it. Your life will change once you make this decision.

8. Deeply believe with every fiber of your body and soul that nothing can stop you but you. Everyone had to start somewhere to get where they wanted to go. I started my career with $500 to my name and had to constantly dig deep in my heart and soul to push and push myself to accomplish my goals. I could never have done this without firmly believing in myself and my abilities. Read about leaders you admire, and reflect on their inspiring success stories. You will find their stories and yours are not so different.

If there is one mindset no one can ever take away from you, it is your awareness that you want something and you want it badly. None of my career accomplishments would have happened without me believing I could achieve them, visualizing my future, and refusing to accept any results except what I decided my results should be. You possess that same God-given ability. Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of meeting many people who have achieved greatness because…simply said…they had a BIG WANT.