Be specific with your words when defining what you want

Words hold a lot of meaning but a lot of that meaning is personal. Yes, there is a dictionary definition for most words but how we understand them can be influenced by culture, upbringing, change, the times we live in, and context.

I thought about this today because I was saying to myself that I want four things for my life: to be rich, creative, strong and at peace. Simple, right? Wrong!

Rich isn’t a set amount of money. You can also be abstract and playful with the idea and say rich in love or rich in personality etc. I meant the financial aspect because I know that having money grants freedom, freedom I wish I had. So someone may read or hear me saying I wish to be rich and turn up their nose like “all you care about is money?” or think that I’m chasing all the money in the world and a fancy mansion.

I am not (though I wouldn’t turn it away!)

The same with being strong. This could be physically, mentally, figuratively. Strong willed. Strong spirit. Strength is subjective, too. One person’s strong is lifting 90kg weights; another person’s is running a marathon; while another person’s is the ability to walk away from a toxic relationship.

My point is, it’s important to define what we want and what matters to us, like I try to do often, but it’s even more important to be specific and explicit about it (for ourselves).

What does it actually look like in practice to be the things you want to be? Do the things you want to do? Have the things you want to have? Visualise it and define it as if you’re telling a story or painting a picture.

Doing this helps us to get realistic. To see a full image and therefore know what we want clearly and take action. You want to be strong? Great! But what does strength look like for you? How are you going to obtain that over the years?

Define a set number, place, item, word count, time, person, whatever for clarity on your goals and intentions.

It’s crucial to get to know yourself. To know your why. To seek the truth of what you want and what it really means for you. We’re all on unique paths in life so don’t let poor word choice or worse flimsy goals set you back! You got this!

Sincerely,

S. xx