How Badly Do You Want It?

by Anne M. Bachrach

What do you think about people who say they want to be fit, or to spend more time with family, or to really buckle down in business this year--and they just can't seem to pull it off? Maybe you know someone who struggles with this sort of thing. Maybe you are that someone.

People with this incongruity, saying they want something but not doing what's really necessary to get it, are not liars--not most of them, anyway. Most of them really do want what they say, but on a day-to-day basis, they just don't seem to be able to make it happen.

It boils down to this: They don't want it enough--not enough to go to the gym regularly, or to organize the day so the urgencies of the office don't overshadow the importance of being with family, or to make the follow-up calls they know they should. They don't want it enough to do the work.

Let's say you have this nagging feeling that although, yes, you do want to produce a new result in business this year, it's probably going to turn out a lot like the last one. You suspect you aren't motivated to do what's necessary to make the difference. How can you rev that up? How can you make a change and make it stick?

You can start with a few simple exercises. Take out a piece of paper and draw a line down the center. At the top of the right column, write, "How badly do I want it?" At the top of the left column, write, "What is it?"

Start with the left column. Ask yourself, "What do I really want? What is the result I want to produce?" Get it down into a sentence or two. Make your desired result just as specific as this example. Then, in the same column, write down what other results that one will produce in your life. This one result will be the start of an immense domino effect--this is crucial to so many other things I want in my life."

Now, in the right column, rate your current level of motivation to achieve this on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means you can hardly keep your eyes open through this exercise and 10 means you're ready to go out and do something toward its achievement right now.

Consider what level of drive is required to meet this goal. Rate that on a scale of 1 to 10, and then describe how you're going to have to feel in order to get what you say you want.

Remember that for you to do truly followthrough, there has to be something about this goal that moves you to action more than the potential discomfort of doing the work. In other words, you need to overcome any aversion to getting the job done with some seriously inspirational sticks and carrots.

Now take a good look at what you've done. You've honestly stated your goal and what it will take to achieve it. Do you want it enough? Are you going to do what's necessary--even when you don't feel like it? That's motivation. Not some mysterious excitement that never leaves, but perseverance because you know what you want, and you are willing to be uncomfortable, do things you'd rather not, and work when you don't want to in order to get it.

Remember all the other results come from having the discipline to follow through. Just because you are willing to, doesn’t mean you will. Do you want it badly enough to do what is required to reach your goals?

Anne M. Bachrach is President of A.M. Enterprises in San Diego, CA. Anne has 23 years of experience training and coaching. The objective is to do more business in less time through maximizing people's true potential, and ultimately leading them to an even better quality of life. For more information on our services and learning tools, and to take advantage of at least 9 FREE life quality resources, visit www.AccountabilityCoach.com or click this link (http://AccountabilityCoach.com/signupa). Begin with the 30-day self-study course and experience a more balanced and successful life (http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/bw/30dayStudyCourse.php).