Aligned Thinking Secret # 3

How to get what you REALLY want from life

January 13, 2006 D-day-6

Dear Jim,
Yesterday we focused on work. Today we focus on personal life or life in general.

It is sad when someone does not get what they REALLY want from work. It is even sadder when they do not get what they really want from life.

Poor Motivation, Accomplishment and Satisfaction

As a math teacher and assistant athletic director, I was always amazed at the football players in November when it was cold. On the coldest day, it was amazing how much energy they put into practice. But spending time with the math book was a different story.

The difference? They could see how their actions in practice were getting them something they wanted, a victory on Friday night.

Studying math? They could not see how that would get them anything as immediate as the victory Friday night.

The lesson applies to life. When we can see how our here-and-now actions are related to what we REALLY want, there is a quantum leap in motivation, accomplishment and satisfaction.

When we cannot see how this action is taking us to where we really want to be, motivation, accomplishment and satisfaction become more difficult.

At times the big three - motivation, accomplishment and satisfaction - disappear almost totally.

The Tragedy - It Does Not Need To Be That Way

Working with so many people in the 140 Fortune 500 companies where I shared Aligned Thinking, I discovered few people do what I will share with you today: clarifying in writing what they REALLY want from life and reviewing it daily. The sad thing is, it is so simple and so beneficial.

My commitment: if you will spend just ten minutes today to begin using Aligned Thinking Secret #3, and just one minute daily after that, I can assure you, you will focus more of your actions on what you really want from life. And this will give you a quantum leap in motivation, accomplishment and satisfaction.

Aligned Thinking Secret #3 – An Aligned Life

To focus all your actions on what you really want from life, what you really want from life must be clear and reviewed daily.

Aligned Thinking Secret #3, like all the other secrets, is just common sense.

Remember yesterday’s thought for the day:
When common sense does not become your common practice, it is stillborn.

A Simple Step Towards The Impossible

Most people believe it impossible to align every action to what they really want.

One of the reason for this is few people have ever written what they REALLY want from life and review it regularly. As a result, what they really want from life and work is not immediately available to them when the make they decision what to do next.

To follow is the simplest, quickest and most powerful method I know to clarify what you really want from life. It will take you just ten minutes to get started. Force yourself to do this in ten minutes. Forget making it perfect. Tell yourself you have a lifetime to continue refining it. For now, just get it on paper.

Aligned Thinking Simple Method to Clarify What I REALLY Want From Life

Step 1: Capture your values, desires and needs.

If you could have just one item below, what would it be? Circle it.

Appreciation of Arts

Career

Contribution to Humanity

Entertainment

Family

Financial Well-Being

Friends

Home

Intellectual Well-Being

Person I want to Be

Retirement

Physical Well-Being

Serving Others

Spiritual Well-Being

Spouse/Significant Other

Travel

Other

Step 2: Create your prioritized personal purpose.

A. Related to this one item, what do you want and why? Write your answer on the paper where you wrote your work purpose.

B. If you could have just one more item, what would it be? Circle it; then repeat “A.”

C. Repeat A and B until you have exhausted what you really want.

(Caution: the more items you have, the less you can focus on what's really important.)

Step 3: Post your answers. Review them daily.

Time Myth buster

Doing the above is another step toward what most believe impossible:

Aligning Every action to what you REALLY want.

In Aligned Thinking Secret #4, I will share five mistakes people make in planning that assures them of "Never Getting Everything Done." I'll show you how to bust the myth " I can never get everything done." You will be surprise how easy it will be for you to do this.

Proverb of the Day

If you don’t know how to align every action to what you really want, it’s sad.If you know how to align every action to what you really want, and don’t, that’s tragic.

Give Yourself a Gift

Spend ten minutes today clarifying what you really want from life using the simple steps above.Post your results and review it daily. You will be on your way to getting more of what you really want from life and doing what most belive impossible:

Aligning every action to what you REALLY want.

Today, January 13, is D-day-6 for purchasing the book on Amazon.com on January 19.

A Huge Thanks In Advance

Coach Jim