You Have to Have the Want-To

A few days ago, I attended a full-day seminar called “Get Motivated.” Celebrities from all sectors graced the stage and shared their insights on being your best. Some spoke on leadership. Others shared tips on living a joyful life. Yet others talked about the importance of helping others. The common theme throughout the day was that being your best takes commitment, and achieving your highest level of success is an inside job. 

The same is true for you as you write your life. Writing a book or journaling consistently takes commitment. You’ve got to have the “want-to” in order to get it done. After all, if you don’t really want to do something, you’ll think of all kinds of excuses to stop you. The smallest distraction or slightest interruption is all it will take to disrupt your focus and allow procrastination to creep in. Before you know it, you’ll be off track from achieving your goals. Don’t you know that it’s more difficult to get back on track than it is to stay on track!

If you've committed to journaling everyday or even to finishing your book, make the commitment to get it done. Examine your motives and make sure you have the want-to. 

Here are just a few nuggets I gleaned from the “Get Motivated” seminar. I hope they help you stay on track:

“There is no failure as final as a failure to try.”

~ General Stanley McChrystal

How to Succeed Through Change and Transition (Rick Belluzzo, CEO of Quantum Corp.)

• See yourself as an entity. Become more relevant by building your personal value.
• Strive to make a difference. Turn your experience into expertise.
• Be willing to take risks and tough assignments.
• Be self-aware and open to feedback.
• Realize that perseverance can pay off.
• Always maintain integrity. Be hard-headed and soft-hearted.

“You have to put something in to get something out.”

~ Zig Ziglar, author, motivational speaker

Succeeding Through Unexpected Challenges (Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City)

• Be committed to relentless preparation.
• Be able to adjust your existing plans to the situation at hand.