What you want and how to get it

The title of this post has been a well used device in career and business writing over the years. Its meaning is simple, to the point and easy to remember. It is therefore a useful way to approach career planning and there are many people who would look at a statement like this and say that resolving it was part of their success. My challenge is not a direct one to this statement but I do believe it can be more effectively applied.

The suggestion is that a greater opportunity for success lies in placing equal importance on the 'What you want' half of the equation. Most of the books I have read spend more time on 'How to get it'. According to what you have read you might have been encouraged to emulate the habits of successful people, win friends and influence people or even appreciate the significance of the whereabouts of your cheese. Methods such as these can deliver success but the relevance of that success to the individual has fewer guarantees.

So here's the argument. With a little more time and effort focused on exploring the 'What you want' question, the greater the opportunity for success with personal meaning. If anything, all that is required is to approach both sides of 'What you want and how to get it' with equal rigour.

If you have a personal experience or opinion, feel free to share it!