Decide What You Want

Principle 3 of Jack Canfield's The Success Principles is called Decide What You Want. You will recall that the last principle we talked about was Be Clear Why You're Here. Once we figure out what our purpose in this life is, then we need to determine what we want to do, be and have.

Canfield proposes that the reason why we don't get what we want is that we haven't decided what we want--We haven't "defined our desires in compelling detail". That's so true, at least for me, I decide I want something, but it's usually a thought in my head. Many times it doesn't go down in a journal or on a 3x5 card underneath the bathroom mirror or something like that.

Don't live someone else's dreams. Stop settling for LESS than you want. These are things that I'm trying to do right now. I still don't have everything figured out, but this blog is a manifestation of me trying to fulfill my purpose and do what I TRULY want to do.

Ask anyone and they'll tell you the same thing--I love running. I have some of the most lofty goals when it comes to running--Be the best in the world--it doesn't get more lofty than that. I don't know why, but this goal came into me and refuses to leave. I've had a lot of goals throughout my life. Many have come and gone, but this goal about running has always stayed. I love watching running, I love reading books on the science behind it and the greats that have done amazing things like Haile Gebreselassie, Roger Bannister and Jim Ryun to name a few. Sometimes unhealthily it consumes my thoughts and I have to do things to get myself back on track.

A lot of people, and well-meaning at that, have told me either directly or indirectly that my goals are fun, but unrealistic and I need to pick something in case it doesn't pan out. Well the truth of it all is that I don't want to do anything else! I love running, and I know deep down inside that 1. There is a way to do what I love and make a living and 2. If I don't do what I feel is right deep down inside then I will live with the regret of what might have been. The other night I had this thought: I would rather attempt the impossible, fail horribly and look like a fool than live someone else's dream looking back with regret and shame of what might have been.

So what should we do? Make an "I want" list. Ask yourself or have someone ask you "What do you want?" Over and over until you have emptied your brain of everything you could possibly want. Make a list of 30 things you want to be, 30 things you want to do, and 30 things you want to have--And this is not a time to be humble (if that makes sense). Be true to yourself and write down EVERYTHING! Don't settle for anything less. I love the quote in Canfield's book by none other than Michelangelo himself: "The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." Reminds me of the quote by Tellman in my post on Run Tellman Run that "...I live by a guiding principle: If you don’t set yourself extremely ambitious goals, nothing great will ever be accomplished."

I challenge you to do this. Make a list of all the things you want to be, do and have. Figure out where you want to be in life, what your heart longs for you to do. What have you always wanted to do? The next post (probably on Friday, but no guarantees, but there's a good chance...) will be Principle 4 Believe It's Possible which will help with how you will be able to achieve your dreams and live the life you always envisioned.

Whoa! That was intense, now I gotta go run and live my dreams. Have a great day and run fearless!

(And I'm returning and reporting for yesterday: 34 min run in the morning and 1:40 run in the evening)