Know What & Why …Don't Sweat How

By Janet Christensen

Have you ever had a goal – something that you want to achieve, create, or realize – and you think that before you can even begin to work toward this goal, you must have all the details of how you will make it happen figured out first? You come up with your master plan, only to find out that things happen along the way, which are not according to your plan. When this happens, you:

1. try to stick to your original plan (which will probably no longer be valid because things have changed and your plan has not)
   
   
2. adjust your plan to the new circumstances, again trying to work out all the precise details
   
   
3. give up and abandon the plan and your goal because obviously it was not realistic
   

There is a way to achieve, create, and realize your goals and dreams more effectively, with a greater opportunity for success and less stress. The key is to know what you want and why…and to let go of needing to know all of the how's.

The magic in all of this is that when you are clear about what it is you want and why you want it, the how's appear; you do not need to have it all figured out beforehand! Being clear about what you want your life to be like, who you want to be in the process, and what you want to create and manifest is your what. Your why is the emotional link to what it is you want, made by connecting at a deep level to the way you will feel when what you desire is realized.

For example, let's imagine that you have a goal to take a vacation to a tropical island. The first step is to get very specific about this island destination. Is it Hawaii, Aruba, Barbados, Tahiti or another island? Determine exactly where it is you want to go, when you want to go, and with whom. What kind of vacation will it be? Adventure seeking? Relaxing on a beach? What kind of accommodations will you want – a hotel, condominium, or beach house? Get as specific as you can so that you have a clear image of what it is you want.

When you are clear and specific about your what, the next step is to connect with why you want it. This requires going beyond saying “because it will feel good,” to being able to see what you want as already here and feeling the fire, the energy, the emotion, the passion of experiencing it first hand. See yourself actually there enjoying your vacation, walking along the beach with the palm trees and turquoise water, sipping tropical drinks, feeling the warmth of the sun. Know the way you will feel physically and emotionally when you are there. When you connect with these feelings, you connect your what with your why. You can enhance and support this connection by putting pictures of your dream destination somewhere where you will see them on a regular basis – perhaps on your fridge, on a mirror, by your desk, or in a journal. Write down your what and your why in great detail. Have fun with it.

When you clearly know your what, and you can see, taste, feel, and smell it – your why – it is not necessary to have in place all of the details of how you will make it happen. Trust that you will start a process of making it happen because you intend to make it happen. Your choices will reflect your connection to your goal. You put into motion the energies to attract to you the opportunities to realize your goal. Like a magnet, you draw them toward you. Because you are focused on your what and why, you will find yourself open to possibilities and the how's will appear along the way at the appropriate times. It is magical.

So, go ahead – dare to dream and dare to turn your dreams into reality. Know your what and why; no need to sweat how.

Janet Christensen passionately inspires potential as a professional speaker, Passion Map facilitator and writer. She can be reached through her company Unlimiting Potential at (519) 434-5397 or toll free 1-888-779-3061 fax (519) 434-8344 email info@janetchristensen.com Web site www.janetchristensen.com. Published in Networking Today, November 2004.