“The good news and the bad news is that you’re sure to end up in the direction in which you are headed.” – Anon.
If you don’t choose where you want to go, there’s a good chance you won’t like where you end up. So choose!
In all the day to day busyness it’s easy to lose sight of what we really want, myself included. Something I recognized a long time ago is if I’m not clear about where I want to go, I can waste a lot of time heading in the wrong direction. If we have places we want to go and goals we want to achieve, it’s critical that we be clear and specific about what they are, and a plan for getting there.
Recently, a client told me that his wife was about to have another child. “I want her to be able to stay home with the baby, but I’m concerned,” he confided. “Do you think my business can bring in enough money to sustain my family?” he asked me.
“The answer to the question ‘Can I?” is always yes!” was my enthusiastic response.
I truly believe that we can always have what we want. We just have to set a clear path to getting it.
Here are the three steps to getting to YES!
- Get clear about where you are now. My client needed to get a more defined idea of his family’s current financial picture; and an understanding of how their needs would change after the baby. I asked about how much his wife was bringing in now. What new expenses did he anticipate with the new arrival? Would they need more room to live in? Were there other things he wanted to plan for a growing family?
- Be clear about where you want to go. In asking if he had enough money to sustain his family post-baby, my client identified a definite goal with a clear motivation. Often, I’ll speak with someone who has a goal that is in obvious conflict with another part of their life or business. If part of you is pushing ahead, and another part is holding back, you’ll have a hard time being successful. Before you make plans to move ahead, make sure you’re 100% committed to the goal.
Until I started to ask these questions, my client was basically operating in panic mode. The only thing he could think about was “To support my family I have to sell more! More! More!” That’s a response a lot of people have when faced with a financial goal.
If you don’t know specifically how much you need, it’s easy to just work harder and hope that things turn out. When you get clear about your situation you’ll know exactly what you need to do. You can take more intentional and focused actions, which, in turn, lead to peace of mind
After our discussion my client did a bit of homework and got answers to my questions. When he returned he knew what his current financial situation was and how much his wife’s salary contributed to their household. He also had a clearer idea of what additional expenses would be involved with a new baby.
- Plot your course. With information in hand, my client was able to calculate how much he needed to sustain his family without his wife working. As the number came into focus his response was, “Oh wow, now I know exactly how much I need to make – it’s both scary and a relief!”
Information is power, and it provides a sense of freedom to know what we can do. When he knew what the gap was between where he was now and where he wanted to be we could start working on the “how” to make that happen. He will need to sell more; but now he knows exactly how much. His concrete awareness will help him know where he is on the path. He’ll know when he reaches his goal – and his wife will know, too!
When we know where we are starting out, and know where we want to go we have a much greater ability to plan and strategize on how to reach our desired destination. What’s a goal that you have? Is it specific enough so that you can make a clear plan to help you achieve it? Do you know where you are starting out? Being clear and specific about where you are and where you’re going vastly increases the chances of you getting exactly where you want to go.
Enjoy the journey!
Make it an extraordinary day!
Vicki