David J.

Pollay

Read David's bio and previous columns

June 16, 2008

Live Your Best Life First, Then Magnify It

Money will not change you, but it will magnify who you already are. If you know what you want in the future, find a way to bring as much of it into the present as possible. You must build the skill of living your best possible life now. You cannot just hope that you’ll know what to do when the money comes.

What People Want In Life

When I ask people to describe what they want most in their lives, they say things such as:

·       I want to spend more time with my family. I don’t see them enough.

·       I want my work to be meaningful. I don’t think what I do makes a difference.

·       I want my career to be interesting and fun. I’m tired of doing the same thing.

·       I want more vacation time. I’m stressed. I need to relax.

·       I want to be in better touch with my friends. I’ve lost contact with a lot of people.

·       I want to eat better. My health is not as good as it should be.

·       I want to exercise more. I’m out of shape.

·       I want to read more. I don’t have time to learn new things.

·       I want to give back to my community. I don’t give enough.

And when I ask those same people how they are going to do all of this and more, they often answer, “When I make more money.” While “money” is the word that captures our attention, the real word to focus on is “when”. Most people describe the things that they want in life as future events. The good things will come later after they deal with the reality of today.

Now if you believe that important changes in your life can only come to you in the future, it takes the pressure off of you today: You can just keep on doing what you’re currently doing. You don’t have to change anything. You can hold onto your beliefs, habits and plans (even if they are limiting you). 

Challenge Your Mindset

This week let’s challenge that mindset. Let’s devise a different strategy. First, consider my three questions.

1. What do you want to achieve this week? (purpose)
2. What will you do this week? (commitment)
3. Who will you be this week? (integrity)

Second, focus your attention on your career and your family life over the next seven days. What could you change this week that would bring you closer to living your best possible life? What would you take out of your dreams and put into your life today? Choose one thing that will help you move your career in the direction you want it to go, and choose one thing that will improve your relationship with the people you love.

Additional Motivation

And if you’re looking for a little more motivation to make your changes, ask yourself these two questions:

1. What will I do this week that will make me proud of myself?
2. What will I do this week that my family will appreciate and remember?

Start Now

You know what you want. You know who you want to be. You know what you have to do. So, start living your best possible life now. Why wait? 

© 2008 David J. Pollay. Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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