"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."
Ellen Goodman

I love this quote. This could very well be the difference between those who will struggle in the coming year and those who will thrive. Many times we are so focused on fixing what is wrong in our lives as a means of deciding what our goal or focus will be in the coming year we dont happen to notice it might not be what we really WANT.

Do you know what you really WANT? As the years tick by and the roller coaster we call life continues on its nonstop ride our dreams and WANTS can become buried under a mountain of SHOULDS.

Whats the difference? Wella lot. Not only do they sound different, they feel different. Try this little experiment and see if you dont agree. Below is a list of some of the synonyms for the word should. Take a couple of calming breaths and focus on how you feel as you slowly say them to yourself.

Should: ought to, supposed to, have to, must, be required to, be obligated to, need to, be necessary, or unavoidable.

Now try the same process and focus on the word want and a few of its synonyms.

Want: feel like, desire, crave to, yearn for, wish for, wish to, fancy, aspiration or be willing to.

So how do you go about discovering what you want? To begin with, its important to take a good look at all areas of your life as they are today.

Make a list of all the areas of your life. Write down as many as you can think of that accurately reflect your life. A few examples might be Relationships, Work/Career, Physical Environment and Material Goals.

When you feel your list is complete take some quiet time when you are comfortable and relaxed and think about your life as it relates to each category.

Next make a separate page in a notebook for each of your categories. Start with the category you most want to change and continue with this process so that the categories you are most satisfied with will be the last pages you prepare. Write a couple of sentences beneath each category that describe your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with that area of your life.

Now you have a list of the areas of your life, a good view of those you most want to change and why. Draw a line under the sentences you wrote for each category. Its time to dream. Take some time to think about what you want and write your vision of what your life would look like if anything were possible. Dont worry if it seems unrealistic. Write what you feel and write without self consciousness. This exercise is designed to awaken the possibilities inside and help you cultivate a goal you are truly inspired to achieve.

The truth is when you work on a should you find yourself trying to muster up discipline which can result in, struggle, effort and frustration. When you do something you want, something you care about and something that genuinely reflects who you are; you become inspired, creative, motivated, effective and committed.