What do we need to feel fulfilled, and what are we going to do to get there? Maybe you want to leave your current job because it doesn’t satisfy you or because you see it as temporary. Maybe you want to start your own business, or you’ve just finished university and don’t know what to do. We all need the same thing: a goal in life and the passion it takes to reach it, and, as far as possible, to enjoy the process. So what are we going to do to get there?
We all want to succeed, but not everyone is willing to fight for it. Luckily for many of us, we’re “stuck” behind the wheel of our own lives, which means we really do control the accelerator, the brake, the turns and even the door to get out. The trouble starts when some people find themselves in the back seat while somebody else drives.
1. Find out what you want
To sit behind the wheel, we need to know not only how to drive but where we want to go. So, to begin with, stop wondering what you want and find out as soon as possible. The truth is that many people aren’t happy with their lives in general, but if we ask them what they need to be happier, they have no answer. They simply don’t know.
When was the last time you sat down and did some soul-searching to work out what you’d like to do? There are people who have isolated themselves for up to five days just to think about what they want to do. If, after that time alone, they come back knowing not only what they want to do but also how they’re going to do it, so much the better.
See also: Marcus Lemonis: a millionaire in business on a handshake alone
The moment you know what you want to do, something should change in you, because at least you have a defined goal and the hope of reaching it.
Some people need to do this with others who remind them of what they’re good at, or of an old dream they left behind. If at some point along the way you feel so low that you think you’re useless or that all is lost, always remember one of the best sources of motivation there is: “Out of millions of sperm, you were the fastest, the great conqueror of Egg Hill.” 🙂
2. Step out of your comfort zone
Don’t be reckless, but be bold. It’s normal to be afraid of new situations, but the world is conquered only by adventurers and risk-takers. Don’t be afraid to experiment and learn new things. I’ve always said that success and failure are both out there, and we may find either of them, but we need to get to the result as soon as possible. If you try and fail, you’re back at the starting point, but with one more experience behind you.
3. Set progressive, reachable goals
In an article by Aida Baida Gil on the steps to reach your goals, she referred to this very point. Many failures come from the loss of motivation caused by setting goals that are too big with too little time to reach them.
In other words, what do you want to be, Prime Minister of Spain (Presidente del Gobierno)? That’s clearly an example of a goal we couldn’t reach in a year. That’s the final goal. The first objective should be to join a party and become mayor of a small town, then of a city, and in time you may become prime minister, with the advantage that to become Prime Minister of Spain you don’t even need to have beaten all the other sperm.
4. Now take control of your life and work towards your goals
Once we know what we want to do and what we need to do, and we’ve defined exactly the goal we want to reach, we’re missing just one last thing: getting down to work and doing everything we can to achieve it, though I insist on the importance of enjoying the process. In the end, we’re all responsible for creating our own happiness, but many people lack the confidence to truly believe it.
Further reading
- What’s the right business or job for me? How to choose what to do
- Advice from 10 leaders to university students and future entrepreneurs
- 26 lessons to prepare your child for the real world
- Forget IQ: it’s grit that leads to success
Featured image: Reinhold Möller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
