The Power of Desire
The Power of Desire
The following blog post is part of The Road to Financial Wellness blog tour. The Road to Financial Wellness is a three-month, grassroots campaign promoting financial empowerment on a national level and encourages people to pursue their dream lifestyle. Find out more about local events near you. If you’re in the NYC area tomorrow, please feel free to join us. I will be there as well as many other financial rockstars.In a recent audit of my business, I realized that about 90% of my clients reach their financial goals or come very close to reaching their aggressive financial goals; and while the narcissist in me wants to believe that it has everything to do with me and my financial coaching, I realize that something greater is in play.For a while, I couldn’t really put my finger on exactly what the secret was to my client’s successes, because the client’s have varied paths with lots of bumps along the way; however, I started reading a book a few weeks back that gave me insight into what I now believe fuels my client’s successes.
A Roadmap for Financial Well-Being
If you have never read this book, I highly recommend Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I discovered it after a meeting with my business partner where he shared the story of Napoleon Hill and his connection to Andrew Carnegie; and I admit that I never would have read the book because being rich is not a particular goal of mine, yet this book is inspirational for anyone pursuing a major life goal.Napoleon Hill, the author of this book, wrote Think and Grow Rich in 1937 just as the US was recovering from the market crash of 1929; and it was inspired by time that Hill spent interviewing successful businessmen such as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt and many others. After analyzing all of these successful men (sadly there were no women, but such was the times), Hill deducted that success was a matter of mind control at the end of the day.Napoleon Hill truly believed, and laid it out so eloquently in this book, that with the right mindset and a sound plan, anyone can achieve financial success. I quickly realized after starting this book that the title for the first chapter hinted at the reason for my client’s successes: Desire.
Desire First: Success Second
The first step to achieving financial goals is the desire to achieve them to begin with. I say this all the time, but many of us are essentially driving around without financial road maps and then we wonder why we’re lost when it comes to money. If you don’t have a desire or a destination in mind, then how can you ever expect to get anywhere?Most of my clients seek my help because they have the desire to achieve a financial goal yet they understand that they need some extra assistance to attain this goal. For many, in the beginning they feel as though they will never achieve certain goals; however, I encourage them to remain positive and focus on the steps it takes to get where they want to go.
Sticking with the Plan
Not all of my clients achieve immediate success. Many of them struggle on the path to change their financial future; however, the ones who desire success the most, stick with the plan that we lay out no matter what obstacles come in their way. The result of this desire and focus is truly astounding to me. Some clients legitimately save money, make more money or pay down more debt as part of the plan; however, others have what I can only call “universal assistance” to help them achieve their goals.Over the last three years, I have witnessed clients receive bonuses at work they never received before and never expected. I have clients receive tax returns of substantial size for the first time in their life. Other clients have acquired inheritances they didn’t plan for or unexpected family gifts. I would say these are random coincidences; however, they happen so frequently to my clients, I have to believe that desire led this money to them.My clients desire financial change and invest the time and money for it to happen; and I truly believe as Napoleon Hill does, that this desire leads to financial success. However, it’s not only my client’s desires that lead to success, I have experienced it firsthand with my own business.
My Desire
Three years ago, I had the idea to create a financial services company that was committed to providing personalized assistance to everyone regardless of asset size. This idea grew so strong that I realized I needed to pursue it full-time; and for the last three years, I have desired nothing but to see this dream become a reality.I have suffered my fair share of setbacks, and actually if you read the book, you realize that most success stories have a setback story in them; however, I didn’t let the setbacks quash my desire. I now accept that every setback provides a learning opportunity, and rather than destroy me, I allow them to enlighten me.Thanks to my amazing partner, I will be sharing some very exciting news with you about my business and the next level we are taking it; and this is all a result of my desire for it to be a success.
Identify Your Desires
If you are struggling with your path to financial health, I encourage you to take the time and identify specific results that you would like to attain. Write these desires down and then construct the plan for how you are going to get there. Don’t let the size of your goals or the potential setbacks overwhelm you to the point that you never get started.Put your plan together and let desire and faith propel you along the journey. I guarantee you that you will not only find your own path to success, but that the universe will likely surprise you with some windfalls along the way. How can you ever expect the universe to give you something if you don’t tell the universe what you desire to begin with?