How Serious Are You?

September, 2009

by Angelique Devost

“Through some strange and powerful principle of ‘mental chemistry,’ Nature wraps up in the impulse of strong desire ‘that something’ which recognizes no such word as impossible, and accepts no such reality as failure.” from Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

At a recent networking event I attended, people were sharing the best piece of business advice they had ever received. One woman said that someone had told her that if she doesn’t take herself seriously, no one else will. Since that time, she has taken herself and her work very seriously and, in spite of the economy, has had her best year ever. Clearly, she had “that impulse of strong desire” that “accepts no such reality as failure.”

This advice really resonated with me and I began asking myself how serious I am about what I want to achieve in different areas of my life. The energy shift I feel within myself is amazing — an inner core of strength emerges when I focus my resolve on what I want.

I realized that the absence of this resolve, or strong desire, is like leaving the back door open just enough to allow the prospect of failure to come in. How committed or passionate are you about what you say you want?

Here are some examples of questions you might ask yourself:

How serious am I about being healthy?
How committed am I to do the work I love?
How passionate am I about having a beautiful, love relationship?
How determined am I to be a good parent?
How serious am I about __________________?

When you ask yourself these questions, do you notice the energy shift I describe above? If not, you may have left that back door open. Being truly committed to something requires us to take full responsibility for it, and that can be scary. It is our resolve that motivates us to change our behaviors in order to get what we want. Without that strong desire, our old habits continue to run us and we continue to feel powerless.

Pick one area of your life where you really do have that resolve. Focusing your energy in that area and moving toward your goal will give you the confidence to address some of the other areas where you may not be feeling as strong.

If you find that you are struggling to uncover the obstacles that keep you stuck in your old patterns, give us a call. We can help.