Are You Serious?

All of us have desires to do something meaningful in our lives. We want to stay fit, we want to develop new skills; we want to succeed, grow, and improve.

The problem is this, though. We all know what we want to do and what we have to do, BUT somehow we don’t get around to doing it.

At a recent weekend catch-up, a friend said, “I have been trying to lose weight, but I don’t know, whatever I am doing, it’s not working. What should I do ?”

Instead of giving tips and advice, I asked my friend, ” Are you really serious about losing weight? What is your desire specifically, and what are you willing to do to achieve your desire? How important is it for you to lose weight?”

While the specific instance here was about losing weight, the question I pose is relevant and valid for every aspect of our life: a better job, a top performance rating, a new skill, becoming an entrepreneur, starting a blog, and taking up Yoga or Meditation, etc.

You have a strong desire for something. You are in love with the possibility of achieving that desire. So you ask- ” How do I lose weight fast” or ” Tell me a few tips to become an entrepreneur” or ” It’s boring doing the same stuff. Do you know of any interesting jobs where I can be a good fit?”

The bottom line is this- More than your desire, what matters is your intention and commitment. Are you really serious, and how far are you willing to push yourself to get something you truly desire?

The core issue is not in you not knowing what to do. It is in your willingness to pay the price in terms of your discipline, commitment, and focus to do what is necessary to achieve your goal.

Nothing of significance will ever be achieved without any pain in the immediate term, nor will results be achieved fast. All good things take time and a lot of pain in terms of commitment and discipline. Therefore are you serious enough to endure the pain in the short term in order to achieve your goals?

It’s the season of the new year and new resolutions. So before you jump headlong into making new commitments, promising to turn a new leaf, and starting a new chapter in your life- question your motives and intention- “Is my desire a fad, or am I serious? How far am I willing to go to pursue my goal and my dream?”