Do You WANT To...Or Do You CHOOSE To...

“I want to have some time to think or to plan, or to just take a day off,” Ron, a moderately successful advisor, told me during our first conversation.

“Can’t your assistant help take some of the workload off your shoulders?” I asked.

“Right now,” he responded, “I don’t have an assistant.  Terri, my former assistant, left four months ago, and I haven’t had a chance to replace her,” he continued.

“Have you scheduled the time to search for a replacement?” I queried.

“Well, no,” came his reply. “I’m too busy doing the paperwork to even think of that.”

Ron was unhappy with his situation, and wanted to change it, but he just wasn’t taking the actions he needed to fix the problem. He had just provided me with the perfect example of the distinction between wanting something to happen (a “WANT to”) and choosing to do something about it (a “CHOOSE to”).

“We WANT a lot of things,” I explained.  “I want to learn a language.  I want to exercise every day.  I want to give more of my time to more of my favorite charities…”

“But until I’m one hundred percent committed to make those things happen, by putting them on my calendar and taking action,” I continued, “It’s clear that I’m not CHOOSING to put them into my life.”

While Ron WANTED more time to think, plan, and play, and to grow his business, he hadn’t yet CHOSEN to calendar the search for a new assistant.

“The ‘WANT to’ is there,” I told him, “But the ‘CHOOSE to’ isn’t.”

Ron’s default future was continuing with no end in sight to be unhappy with the amount of work he has on his plate.  To be happy, he had two choices: Decide that he’d rather be where he is and accept the situation, or get committed to change the situation and take action, which meant getting time on his calendar to find a new assistant and doing the work.

Once he understood the distinction between wanting and choosing, and the choice it involves, he chose to act. He began working weekly to put a new assistant in place.

It isn’t easy, but it’s always up to you how firmly you’ll commit to attaining your goals.  Sometimes, it’s as simple as taking the time to find expert help with the stuff that feels impossible. 

Want something to change?  Choose to make it happen.  Put it on your calendar.  Enroll in a program.  Seek advice. 

If you don’t have a copy of my '16 Disciplines' of top advisors, message me or comment “16” and I’ll arrange to send it to you.

In the meantime, keep REACHING…