I'll Tell You What I Want, What I Really, Really Want

reposted from Jennie Flintoft's 2/26/09 eZine "Fired Up"
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I'll Tell You What I Want, What I Really, Really Want

Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker was once very publicly confronted during one of his seminars. The heckler said to him, "You guys come and get people all hyped up and then you leave and the motivation goes away. It doesn't last, and we're left having to get motivated again."

Zig reminded the gentleman that having a shower is pretty much the same principle - but we think it is a good idea to take a bath everyday! We've got to top up our motivation if we want to feel Fired Up.

This is our responsibility - not our bosses, not our clients, not our partner, not our companies - ours. You've heard the expression, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink". That's exactly the same here. Your company could have loads of great incentives, you could have the best boss ever, an awesome partner - but these things in themselves don't motivate you. It has to come from you.

Last week I talked about the sticky actions you can take to move forward on your goal. Small, simple actions you can identify over the course of week and WOW! Before you know it, you've got lots of options and ideas you can try out to get moving on your goal.

Goal setting is one of the most misunderstood topics within the area of personal development. Most people think goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound). The trouble is, as soon as we start to think "How can I make this a realistic goal?", we lose the inspiration we have about it.

Inspiration is not realistic. It comes from deep down inside of us and it is scary!!! Michelangelo said, "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." I love that - and it also scares me witless! Because I don't want to fail! However, I've noticed that, whenever I re-align my goals and make them more "realistic" - whatever that means - they become so much harder to achieve. Much harder. Because I'm not as fired up about them.

In a strange way, it's easier to get what you really want than what you think you can have, if that makes sense. For example, we look at our previous achievements and say, "OK. Last year I earned (x). So this year, I reckon I can make (y)." Or, "Last time it took me (x) weeks to finish that project. So this time it'll take me (y)." And we +/- it by around 10%. All very logical, or very blaaaaahhhh. Michael Neill calls the goals that really tickle us and fire us up our "Wow" goals. I know I've got them. Here's just a few:

I want to take my little girl to 5 new cities across the world every year, to drink in the culture and experience

I want to take a month off and fly with my husband and daughter to Australia and New Zealand and hook up with old friends and family

I want to learn to ski and have a skiing holiday each year

I want to have a personal 1:1 relationship with 100 new people each year over and above my usual client base, who have chosen to work with me in order to feel more Fired Up about their work and life

So how am I going to make all that happen? I have absolutely no idea! But what I do know is - the goals make me tingle. The thought of getting even ONE city visit a year makes me excited, never mind five! Don't let your past history, or past experience limit you. Feeling more Fired Up has got to start with you.

YOUR FIRED UP ACTION THIS WEEK:

So what do you want? What do you really, really want?

Write it down! Say it out loud! Own it! And just enjoy the journey of discovery of how you might get there. What's the worst thing that could happen? You might fail. How likely is that to happen? Extremely unlikely - because you'll still be further forward than where you are right at this moment.

Let me know what your bone shaking, spine tingling goal is - email me at jenny@rock-solutions.com and I'll be your virtual cheerleader, cheering you on to success!

Until next time, enjoy feeding your flame!

Jenny Flintoft
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Jenny Flintoft publishes her weekly newsletter especially for anyone seeking revitalisation at work and in life and therefore greater success. www.rock-solutions.com