In my last post, I talk about the importance of asking yourself, “What do I want?” Understanding what would be ideal for you, for example, with your personal finances or your romantic relationship, what you would like, what kind of situation you would want to be in, you have a much clearer idea of the direction you want to take things. This is the meaning of purpose as a core principle of strategic living.
However, it can be very difficult to understand what you want on a long-term scale. Who knows exactly what they want a year or five year or ten years from now?
If you’re struggling with answering, “What do I want?”, try this simpler question: “What do I enjoy?” What gets me excited? What do I like – now? Picture your situation in terms of what you currently enjoy.
Then ask yourself: why do I enjoy these things? What is it about these things that I like?
Do you enjoy traveling? Being free to work on your own projects? Leading a team at work? Tracking your finances? Spending time with your partner? Partying hard on the weekends?
Who you are now gives you a clue as to what you will or won’t like in the future. Character, as they say, is destiny.
Shine some light onto your personality, your interests, your preferences, your likes and dislikes now. They give a strong clue as to who you are and what kind of life you want to lead.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you just run with it. You may enjoy the party life now, but you may grow out of that.
But every little bit of clarity helps. Ultimately you want to be in a position where you have a clear picture of what kind of life you want to live and of what that looks like. Understanding what you currently enjoy may help you get there.