Will Power won’t get you there. But this will!
It’s nearly the end of January; the most popular month for stopping or starting something.
Whether it’s Dry January, Veganuary, a new gym membership… many people kick off the new year with a resolution that will be broken by 90% of people.
Why?
Because most are relying on Will Power – the ability to control or restrain themselves.
Let me explain…
I used to smoke. A lot. I lost count of the number of times I tried to give up but failed. It’s not because I didn’t try; it was because I didn’t actually want to give up. I was only attempting to quit because I thought I should.
It was only until I was hit with a bout of flu (not of the man-type either), that I didn’t smoke for a week because I felt so terrible.
Towards the end of that week, Jacki cooked a simple fish dish, but the taste of fresh lemon and dill jumped around on my tongue and lingered in my mouth for the rest of the evening (I can almost taste it as I type).
The sensation was so strong and pleasurable that I vowed never to smoke again because I wanted to taste my food and drink. We’d realised how much chilli powder we’d been smothering on our food over the years to try and give it some sort of taste!
It was Want Power that made me give up smoking; NOT Will Power.
The same goes for business. Not a week goes past where I have conversations with business owners telling me how they need to:
- Stop procrastination and start making decisions.
- Get under the bonnet of their business to understand it more.
- Stop firefighting and start planning.
- Let go and get out of the way of others.
- Have a difficult conversation with a team member.
- Sort out the numbers.
- Design a specific process.
- Stop, start, review, etc etc
The trouble is, the majority of business owners don’t want to. They may be scared, unsure, not confident, overwhelmed, lethargic… Whatever the reason, it is a lack of Want Power that holds businesses back.
Those businesses that succeed have a strong desire and want to do something. Nothing will get in their way. They’ll take a risk and face the consequences. They’ll ask for help. They want this.
This week, please allocate 90 minutes to think about what YOU really want in your business and life – write these down, commit to them, and start an action plan to execute. If you’re unsure of anything – there’s hundreds of books, colleagues and experts to help you.
I honestly think I’d be vaping at best if I hadn’t discovered want power vs will power.
I’d also be working Fridays within all the constraints of a plc…
It is your choice…
BW,
Martin
Martin Norbury
The Scalability Coach | Britain’s Top 10 Adviser 2018 | Author of #1 bestseller I don’t work Fridays | Ex-CEO of a PLC
