Looking Back at LIFE (Photo credit: CliffMuller)
Wanting an Answer
“What do you want most in life?” asked the life coach.
“I want more of what I want and less of what I don’t want,” responded the client.
“Seems reasonable. What do you think is keeping you from getting more of what you want and less of what you don’t want?” asked the coach.
“I don’t know what I want!” said the client.
Do you know what you want in life?
Are you engaged in the active pursuit of your happiness, satisfaction, legacy, dreams, and purpose in life, or are you living a life of unintended consequences? Have you chosen to be the author of your life’s epic autobiography, or are you an extra in a crowd scene, under someone else’s direction? Do you know what you want in life?
Life Test
Here’s a simple life test to help you check the essential quality of your life. It’s a simple test, but it is not easy.
Instructions: Complete the following statements to your satisfaction. No one else can possibly answer these statements for you. Give yourself permission to be totally honest. Do not require the answers to be realistic, practical, or responsible. Your dreams are welcome here. Good luck!
1) In my ideal life, I want…
2) In my ideal life, I do not want…
Scoring: Think about your statements and then objectively rate your life and assign a score based on evidence from your life. Which question has the most points? Are you getting the most of what you want the most?
What if you still don’t know what you really want? Then you should be satisfied with whatever you get. Not you? Then maybe you are not listening to your life as it tells you what you want. Are you feeling frustrated?
Frustrated?
If you experience a sense of frustration, then chances are you are not getting enough of what you want. The stronger your sense of frustration, the more you have a clear indication that you are not getting something you want. A Reiss Motivation Profile® (RMP) can be very helpful by revealing your most valued needs. We want most what we value and need the most. (You can email me at andy@adgrowthadvisers.com if you would like to complete a Reiss Motivation Profile®.)
What Does the Possibility Store Have In Store For You?
Imagine you are strolling down the aisle of the Possibility Store where you can buy anything, including thoughts, dreams, feelings, and experiences. Are you shopping for you, or are you buying what someone else has told you that you should buy? Are you filling your life cart in a futile attempt to fulfill your parents’ expectations? Are you trying to purchase the approval of others? Are both hands filled with other people’s “shoulds” so you have no free hand to pick up what you want? You can get anything you want at the Possibility Store, but there are no refunds or returns. Choose what you want carefully, but don’t be afraid to try on some unfamiliar items to see how they fit. Experiment and try before you buy.
Every day we are shopping at the Possibility Store and don’t even realize it. Regrettably, we often allow other people to write out our life’s shopping list for us and then complain that we didn’t get what we want. Other times, we don’t want to invest the time, effort, or resources to get what we want, so we settle for dissatisfaction and frustration instead.
Your Ideal Life Is Waiting On You
You stand a much better chance of getting what you want by knowing what you want. Your ideal life is waiting on you to decide how you will answer the question of a lifetime: “What do you want most in life?”
Welcome to the Possibility Store. Is it time to shop for your ideal life?
Ready to fire up your work and your life? I’m an executive coach from Indianapolis, and I work one-on-one with executives and managers, in person for local clients or via Zoom. If this post raised a question about your work or your next step, we should talk. The first discovery call is free and confidential. Book your discovery call, or call or text me at 317-643-0058, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5.
