What do you want?

It’s a powerful question, yet do you know the answer?

I will never forget the first time someone asked me to write down what I wanted in my life. I was attending a self-development training and sat amongst a group of 22. The assignment was to draw a circle and write down what we wanted in the circle. I remember looking around the room; people seemed to write effortlessly. I stalled. I even glanced at the person sitting next to me to see what they were writing down.

How did I not know what I wanted? And why did this exercise seem so hard at the time?

What I know now that I didn't know then is this. I didn't know what I wanted because I focused mainly on avoiding what I didn't want. And aside from a family and career, I hadn't been overly specific.

I pulled out the old journal from that day on a recent group call. One of my peers pointed out how small the circle was around my list. I agreed. I couldn't see beyond where I was back then to know where I wanted to go.

These days knowing what I want helps me to create my life intentionally. It took wonder, optimism and a clear vision to help me understand what I wanted. And, It took practice to take my attention off what I didn't want so I could focus on what was possible.

Getting clear on what you want is the first step to making it happen. Helping people to do this is one of the reasons I became a coach. If you are feeling stuck, notice where your attention is. Then, ask yourself, "what do I want?" Be future-focused. It will get the gears turning. Once you've identified what you want, what's the next thing you can do to make it happen? Remember that one small action leads to the next. Keep going.