One of the most important, yet difficult, questions to answer when it comes to strategic living is, “What position do I want to be in?”
Most people do not know this. They can’t imagine it very clearly. Of course, they have a more or less clear idea of what positions they do not want to be in. Maybe they don’t want to keep working, or they don’t want to have the same argument over and over again, or they don’t want to have to deal with a crazy coworker, or they want to stop paying off debt, etc. But figuring out what position they do want to be in is a huge challenge.
While I do not and cannot have the answer to this question for people, I do believe there are three positions that are possible for people to want. I outline them here for you:
- Freedom. This is a position where one can choose what one wants to do without having to deal with certain undesirable or uncertain or uncontrollable factors or situations. Financial freedom, for example, is a position where one can choose to spend their money or time however one wants without worrying about working or depending upon others. Freedom is the most widely desired position to be in, mostly because it relates to what I said earlier – i.e. that people know more what they don’t want than what they do.
- Success. This is a developed position where one receives continual acclaim, respect, or recognition for consistent achievements in a specific endeavor – whether it’s in a career, sports, business, relationships, even personal happiness, etc. A grandmaster of chess, an Olympic athlete, a film star, are examples of people in positions of success.
- Power. This is a position where one has decision-making control or influence in a specific area. A CEO, a business owner, an adviser or consultant, a Board member are all examples of people in positions of power.
These three positions are not mutually exclusive and are often found together. For example, a person who becomes CEO may have gotten there because of previous positions of success. Or someone who is financially free may have gotten there by obtaining a position of power as a business owner.
The important thing is understanding which position one is ultimately trying to be in. Are you aiming to be in a position of power, where you call the shots or influence the decision-making?
Are you aiming to be in a position of success, where you are recognized for some accomplishment or string of accomplishments?
Or are you aiming to be in a position of freedom, where you are creating a life free from certain negative factors – e.g. worry, debt, work, guilt, abuse?
Once you find the one you want, you can start making a plan on how to attain and maintain that position.