Yesterday we talked about what success means to us–how we define it so that we can tell when we’ve gotten there. (click here to be taken to that post).
We hear all the time that in order to be successful, we must have a burning desire and be obsessed with succeeding.
But what exactly does “burning desire” and “obsession” mean? Do we have to be constantly charged up and excited all the time?
I’ve discovered that it isn’t necessary to be in a state of high energy all the time. In fact, it’s really hard to do this–even for people who are naturally high energy. It IS imperative, though, that you are naturally fascinated by the topic/hobby/business–whatever it happens to be. You must have an obsession with it. You’ll find your mind mulling over aspects of the thing that interests you. You’ll be drawn to books, activities, meetings, and the like that are centered on the topic. You naturally want to find out more about it and you willingly, even without realizing it, study it and achieve a level of expertise.
Do we have to be so obsessed with it that it totally consumes us and our lives?
While you’ll focus much of your time on your burning desire and obsession, you’ll still have time for the important aspects of your life such as spending time with your family, taking care of your responsibilities and obligations, and the like. In order to have time for the important things in your life, you WILL have to let go of time wasters such as watching mindless TV and spending time with “friends” who don’t celebrate you.
Will having a burning desire and obsession require us to have superhero strengths and toughness or demand that we perform beyond our capabilities?
You only have to be your own hero. A burning desire and obsession don’t require you to save the world or change the course of history. All that YOUR burning desire and obsession require is that you commit to it and take things one step at a time. Of course you will have to develop your talents and abilities and that might feel like you’re doing something superhuman, but you can break tasks, jobs, projects, etc., into little bits and pieces. Make the parts small enough that you can handle them. Gradually, you’ll gain confidence in your new skills and you can take bigger steps. But one little tidbit of a step at a time is just fine.
In tomorrow’s post, we’ll talk more about burning desire and obsession.
Until then, take the next step!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
Yes I Can Pep Talks 
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