The Following is the second half of a very long blarticle.  The first half can be found at: http://www.mordantworld.com/how-bad-do-you-want-it-part-the-first.html.  If you haven’t already done it, I suggest you read “How Bad Do You Want It!?  ~Part the First~” first.  Enjoy!

How Bad Do You Want It! ~Part the Second~

How Bad Do You Want It! ~Part the Second~

First things first—decide on, then commit to, this “It” that you want.  I’m sure you already know what it is.  It’s been swimming around in the deep-end of your brain for quite a while now.  If you’re not sure, then ask yourself this question:  if you could Be, Do, Have anything you want….  If you had all the talent, looks, money, smarts, chutzpah—if you had whatever it took and you knew you would be a big success, what would you be?  Answer that and you have your dream, that thing you are truly passionate about, set out in front of you.  Now you know.  And, now it’s time to commit (that’s right—the “C” word) to doing something about it.  Now it’s time to turn your dream into a goal.

This is where your fantasy becomes a reality.

Next, you will begin researching, then plotting out the steps that will take you on this collision course with your future.  Remember, a dream without specific attainable steps is just that—a dream.  It’s those action steps that turn your wanna-be fantasy into something real—a goal.  That’s what is going to take you to the next level.

So, first you set your beacon, your goal, the destination on your dream-catching map.  Then, research what it’s going to take to get you to where you want to go…or at least the next step.  You can also try starting from your goal, then working your way backward, laying out each of the steps until you arrive at today.  I.e., first you take your goal, before that you _(actionable step)_, before that you _(actionable step)_, and so on, leading all the way back to where you are now.  This is called “The Merlin Method.”

No matter how you do it, you’ll have your actionable steps leading to your now attainable goal.  Now there’s only one thing left for you to do, and that is really do it.  Take those steps, one at a time if necessary, more if possible.  But, no matter what, the only way you’re going to obtain your goal is if you DO YOUR STEPS.  If you’re able to move forward with no problem—smooth sailing.  If not, then you’ve probably got something blocking your way.  This will certainly give you the opportunity to shine a light on whatever may stand in the way of you achieving your goal(s).  Especially if that “thing” is Y-O-U.  (A hard pill, I know, but swallow it down and let’s move on.)

Now that you’ve decided to take a look at what is standing in your way, what are you going to do about it?  Basically, “how bad do you want it!?”  More than: TV, video games, time off from work, time out with your friends, Disneyland, Disney World, the big game, the Super Bowl, every must-see movie, books, blogs, Facebook, YouTube, _(your distraction here)_, the list is never-ending.  What are you willing to sacrifice so that your dream may become a reality?  If this really is your dream, you goal, your passion, then it shouldn’t be too difficult to drop everything else in pursuit of this one very important thing, right?

Yeah, you’d think that, wouldn’t you?

If that were the case, then people would be achieving their goals and attaining their dreams every day.  Hell, you’d be already halfway there yourself.  But, you’re not, are you?  Chances are if you’ve taken the time to read this far into this blarticle, then you’re looking for a little help in the whole in-pursuit-of-your-dreams area.  A lot of the problem is that we as people are not always that focused and we’re easily distracted.  At the end of an oh-so hard day, who wants to knock out a couple more hours in front to a computer, just to pursue something that may never come to fruition anyway?

Successful people, that’s who.

If you want to be successful at any level with this thing, this “It” you say you “want to be when you grow up,” then eventually you’re going to have to log in some serious time and effort.  But, for now, here at the beginning, I think you might begin with a couple to a few hours a week of trading your TV time in for something you keep saying is more important to you.

But, I don’t have enough time left in the week, you say.  I’m tired when I get home from work, you whine.  I don’t want to miss my television programs—don’t even get me started with this one!  Let’s look at it this way…how much time do you actually put in as you trek towards your goal?  If there’s 168 hours in a week (there are).  And, you take 56 out for sleep (provided you get eight hours of sleep every day of the week) and 40 hours for the J-O-B.  That leaves you with roughly 72 hours to devote to doing something dream dedicated.  That’s three full 24-hour days.  Do you think you might be able to squeeze in four to five hours for the week?  How about an hour or two a day?  One hour?  Do you think you could set aside one hour a day for working on becoming this thing you say you’d most want to be in life?

Does this put things in perspective for you?

So, we’re back to the original question, how bad do you want it!!  Do you really want to Do, Be, Have this incredible “It”?  Or are you going to sit back, relax, grab the clicker and continue watching your life pass you by as you rev the engine to 15 mph, burning out down that Mediocre Highway?  As always, the choice…the decision is up to you.  And, so is the fight.  You’re going to have to combat yourself of all people, slogging your way through your laziness, self-doubt, and lame limiting-belief system to get to a Bigger, Badder, Better, More level of your Life.  But…the fight is worth it.  It will change you, for the better—into the type of person you need to be to accomplish all you say you desire and Be, Do, Have the heretofore elusive “It.”  What do you say—wanna give it a go?  It’s not that hard once you get started.

Go ahead…show the world, and yourself, how bad you want it.

~R. Mordant Mahon~

How Bad Do You Want It! ~Part the First~

How Bad Do You Want It! ~Part the First~

How badly do you want it?

Really, how bad?

By “it” I mean that dream you keep talking about.  That goal you keep putting off or never have enough time to pursue.  That special “it” you’ve waited forever to sink your teeth into, taking a firm bite out of the best this life could offer you.  How badly to you want to flying scissors kick it to the ground, hogtie it with rope you braided from your hopes & visions about your wanna-be life, and make it your bitch?

Really, how bad?

Bad enough to give up a little TV?  Or your favorite video game?  Or time with your friends?  How badly do you want this thing you say you want?  This pie-in-the-sky pipedream you know you’ll never do anything about, but you swear that you’ll get to it soon….  Tomorrow….  Someday.

Nike has a saying:

“Yesterday you said tomorrow.”

The problem is, as we all know, tomorrow never comes.  All you ever have is today.  Today to pay your bills.  Today to raise your kids.  Today to take that vacation.  Today to become a writer, an artist, a _(fill in the blank)_.  Today to Become.  They say Time is a thief.  But, so is apathy.  And, so is complacency.  If you do not stoke that fire burning in your belly, feed that desire yearning to create your destiny, then someday—maybe even tomorrow—you will suffer the “joy” of regret at never having accomplished, hell, maybe never even having attempted to Do, Be, Have that “It” you’ve always wanted.

Sucks, doesn’t it?

Believe me when I tell you that you are not alone.  Nope, not by a longshot.  I, too, suffer from the same affliction you do.  That’s right, sometimes life is so good enough that I don’t feel the need to push it further.  I mean, why would I?  I am comfortable right where I’m at.  I do have it pretty good after all.  Why would I push to go anywhere that might take me away from here?  Especially when it means I will have to cross over into that dark and foreboding place known as Outside My Comfort Zone.  Especially when it means I might have to work to get where I want to go and, most likely, work very hard at this thing I’m just a-playin’ with now.

Yuck!

Why?  Because what lies beyond this velvet trap is everything I say I want out of life.  Unless I’m just fooling myself, adventure and glory are there….  As well as self-respect and a deep sense of accomplishment.  Not altruistic enough for you?  How about the ability to better help others and teach them to help themselves?  Will that satisfy your yearning to make a difference in this world?  Whatever your personal “It” is, you’re going to have to do more than hope and dream, plot and plan to achieve it.

Because, despite expressions to the contrary, “It” doesn’t just happen.

So, what are you going to do about it?  What, in fact can you do about it?  You still only have the same amount of time you were stuck with at the beginning of this blarticle.  Less, actually.  Is there anything you can do to put yourself back on the fast track to achieving your dream?

Yes, of course there is.

First you have to realize that, not only can you do something, but it’s your responsibility.

What!?

You heard me.  Ultimately, it all falls on you—the success, the failure, the mediocrity of being stuck somewhere in the middle—that’s all on you, baby.  But, don’t worry; that’s the good news.

Again…what!?

No foolin’—this is the good part.  The fact that you are the person responsible for your situation in this life is a good thing.  In fact, it’s probably the best thing you’ve read thus far.

I know it’s the most important.

Once you take full responsibility for everything that’s going on, you begin to realize that you can effect a change.  You can make a difference in your own life.  Wouldn’t you rather have it that way, than to have to sit around and wait for some knight in shining armor to come to your rescue?  Well, guess what.  You’re your own knight in shining armor.  It’s up to you to come and save the day.

Daunting, huh?  Don’t worry; it gets better.

What does all this have to do with “how bad do you want it!?”  Everything.  It is up to you to motivate yourself beyond the dreaming stage.  You are the person who has to create goals, set achievable baby steps, begin moving forward and adjust as you go.  “How bad do you want it!?” means just that.  How much more than mere lip service are you willing to give in order to Be, Do, Have this “It” you say you want?

Time is the Dream Killer.

If you think you don’t have enough time to get everything you’d like to accomplish off the backburner and onto your plate, you’re absolutely right!

What!?

You heard me…you are correct-o-mundo.  There will never be enough time for you to write that book, get that doctorate, learn to play the guitar, pursue that singing career, become a big brother, see the world.  Never, never, never…and I mean NEVER!

Then, why bother?

Because it can be done, but you have to do it.  You have to create the necessary space in your life for those things you want to accomplish (or, at least, say you want to accomplish).  You’re going to have to shift things around.  You might even (not might, really—probably) have to get up early/stay up late in order to move forward, step by step, toward your goals.  There will be sacrifices.  Those self-same sacrifices I mentioned earlier in the blarticle.  This, specifically, is what “how bad do you want it!?” is referring to.  Do you want it more that your TV, your video games, your nights out with friends?  Are you worthy of these dreams you are laying claim to?  If not, then perhaps they’re not worthy of you.

How Bad Do You Want It! ~Part the First~Something to think about, isn’t it?