LTM - Lesson 2:What’s Important to You?

2. What’s Important to You?

As I have studied success and experienced it first-hand, there is

absolutely no doubt in my mind that the starting point to living a more

successful and fulfilling life is to positively know what’s important to

you. You must identify the things you value most.

When I was struggling to become an entrepreneur, I was taught that the

first step to achieving success is to have a strong desire.

However, throughout my career, I have coached hundreds of aspiring

entrepreneurs who wanted something so much they could taste it. Or, at

least that’s what they told me. Yet when it came time to employ the

discipline needed to achieve their goals, many of them opted out; they

wouldn’t exercise the necessary discipline.

Another prime example of desire not being enough lies in the real estate

profession. First-year Realtor dropout rates are as high as 80 percent.

Don’t you think these men and women had a strong desire to become

successful Realtors when they first started out?

What happened to their desire? Why did they fail to follow through?

Answer: What they desired was not important enough for them to do the

things required to achieve their objectives.

Let me encourage you to stop spending time pursuing things you simply

desire or think are important. Instead, identify the things that you know

are important. It’s a small but critical distinction. Far too many people

waste large periods of their lives climbing mountains only to realize,

when they get to the top, they climbed the wrong ones. Internationally

respected author and leadership consultant Stephen Covey speaks to this:

How different our lives are when we really know what is

deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind,

we manage ourselves each day to be and to know what

really matters most.

LTM Challenge

Make a list of things that are important to you. Then prioritize that list,

identifying the most important one, followed by the second, and so on. As

you make this list, be honest. Don’t put something at the top of the list if

it really isn’t your Number 1 priority.

You can say, “My family is really important to me,” but if you’re

traveling two weeks a month and working 60 or 70 hours a week, your

actions speak louder than your words. What truly are your priorities?

If you are going to move your life forward, you can’t play games with

yourself and pretend things are different than they really are. When you

complete this exercise, you will have a prioritized list of things that are

most important for you to achieve.

Please stop and do this exercise. The lessons that follow will not bring the

same value to your life if you have not completed this challenge.

 

Desire alone is not enough to break through the obstacles

that lie in your path. What you pursue must be something

that, deep down in your inner being, is very important to you.