What do you really want?

Part 5 of a 7-part series – How change led to a journey of self discovery

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes” (Carl Gustav Jung)

Getting things started can take a lot of time and effort. However, once started, events and situations have a way of generating their own momentum. When playing a key role in starting a business it is easy to be swept along with ego and emotions and to lose sight of why you did it in the first place. I love starting initiatives, inspiring others, being influential. I’m not great at completing things and I get bored by day-to-day operations and management. However, I have always enjoyed the spotlight (as people who know me will vouch!)

As we launched Hansen Beck, my ego naturally wanted to have the recognition of a leading position. However, on holiday and through discussions with my wife Jackie, I stepped off the conveyor belt and was honest with myself. My passion is training and making a difference to my participants and customers. My quality of life comes from doing what I love not from status or responsibility.

While it was hard to step back, it was the right thing for me. I can still be rightly proud of what I did to get our new business started. The future contribution I will make will be far greater than if I had taken the wrong role for the wrong reasons

Call to action: Be honest with yourself. What do you really want? Why are you doing things? Do the things that make your life better rather than being driven by ego or the approval of others