You do not get what you want until you know what you want. Otherwise you get what is left over. I hate leftovers. I want to create something new and perfect just for me.
Following is a questionnaire that will help you determine exactly what you want out of life. Take the time right now to fill it out. Do not rush. Take your time and give it some thought. We are not in any hurry here. Be very specific in your nswers—remember this is your life you are creating.
What would I like to accomplish before I die?
What do I want to own that I do not currently own?
What kind of car do I really want to drive?
What kind of house do I want to live in?
At which stores do I really want to shop?
What kind of clothes would I like to wear?
What kind of jewelry would I like to wear?
Which restaurants do I want to go to?
Where would I like to travel?
How would I like to spend my recreational time?
Which people would I like to spend more time with?
What would I really like to do if time and money were not issues?
How much would I like to weigh?
How much money would I like to earn each year?
How much money would I like to have saved/invested?
How much money would I like to give away each year?
What kind of relationship do I want with my spouse/significant other/
partner/lover/special friend?
. . . with my children?
. . . with my family?
. . . with my co-workers?
. . . with my friends?
. . . with God?
Summarize your perfect life in the next few lines:
How did you do? Does your new life look significantly different than your current life? I bet it does. Now it is time for some honesty. It is time to look at what you are currently doing to make this life happen. Here is another list for you to work on. It is a list of things you are actually doing to make the life you want to come about. If you do not know where to start, you can answer number one with “I am reading this book and filling out these forms.” There. You have the first one. Now keep going.
... As you start creating the life you want with just a few action steps, you will find that things get easier for you. You will start to focus more and more on creating the life you want until you reach the point where you are obsessed with living the life most only dream of. You will actually find yourself becoming the list you made. You will look in the mirror and see yourself in the clothes you want to wear, with the jewelry you want to wear, weighing what you want to weigh. You will go to your garage and get in the car you want to drive and go to the restaurant where you really want to go. You will enjoy your relationships and have plenty of time to relax and enjoy your life. In other words, you will be creating the life you want.
A word of caution: The life you want comes at a price. Everything comes at a price. Nothing is free. No matter what it is in life you choose, there will be a price tag attached.
Want to be fit, trim, and healthy? The price tag is decreased calories and increased exercise.
Want to be rich? You either have to work harder, longer, or smarter—probably all three. There will not be as much time for television. There will not be as much time for golf. Wealth has its price.
Want to be successful? The price tag is pretty expensive, as you are about to find out.
Want to be happy? Then you have to give up everything that makes you unhappy.
And what if you do not want anything? That comes at a price, too.The price is usually poverty, sickness, boredom, apathy, mediocrity, bad relationships, and on and on and on.
The reality of life is that you will pay a price, one way or the other. One price gives you exactly what you want. The other gives you exactly what you do not want. Either way, you have paid the price.
The good news is that the life you want comes cheaper than the life you do not want. The life you do not want makes you miserable, unhealthy, and broke. To me, that is too big a price to pay. It is cheaper to be happy, healthy, and rich. However, only you can choose what to pay.
LARRY WINGET
Book: Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life A Kick-Butt Approach to a Better Life
