Will vs Want

Building your Dreams with Commitments 

I saw an interesting video earlier today from Patrick Bet-David. In 68 seconds he told the story of an interaction with his 8 year old son. 

What is the difference between will and want?

His perspective was this. If we say we will do something, then we have to do it. If we say we want something, won’t don’t have to.

How do you feel now saying you ‘want’ anything for yourself? That’s a heavy frame.

It connected with another idea I came across recently. It was a similar juxtaposition, the difference between seeing something as an obligation versus an opportunity.

Here’s the viscous cycle then that people fall into.

What identify things that we want. These are our opportunities. Things that we would like to do or represent some ideal self to achieve. For some, they may be their dreams.

Everyone encourages you to pursue your dreams. To go after whatever it is that you want, yet we are all ready to accept that it doesn’t have to happen.

Counterbalanced against our dreams, we manage our responsibilities. I am not suggesting that this is “the bad bucket” by any means. What falls here is much of got us to where we are now. It is the foundation for things that we want. They are however commitments that we have in place.

They often take priority because they are real. Our wants haven’t happened yet, so they are much easier to push off.

Knowing that there’s a disconnect in our mental model around wants, the easiest thing you can do to achieve your goals is to make them obligations.

No, I am not telling you just to think of them differently, that’s a start though.

Frame those opportunities with realistic goals. I hate using systems but S.M.A.R.T. goals do work.

1. Break down what you want to achieve into steps
2. For those steps, what things do you have to do or learn to make them happen
3. Set dates when you plan to complete them by

This creates accountability. This will help you succeed.