A lot of people are scared of reaching higher ground, but it is amazing what heights you can achieve when you take one step at a time.  We are all different, which is what makes life so interesting. We have different dreams and goals, which stem from our desires. The reason I would do something is not the same reason you would do it. We all want to win the game of our lives in order to fulfill our particular needs. We all have goals and dreams, but what is the underlying driver?

To achieve any goal or dream requires a burning desire. A strong desire is to have a strong why.

Successful people in most occasions have no idea how things are supposed to happen, but their focus is not on the method. Their intention is clear and solid. Once they have made up their minds, they move forward with the end reward in mind. Because of the strength of their desire, they come across the answers they need along the way, throughout their journey. I’m not talking about wishful thinking. I’m talking about a strong desire - a burning one, so much so that people around can feel their heat.

In my talks, I sometimes throw out the question, “Who wouldn’t want to travel the world? Who wouldn’t want to have a great family life? Who wouldn’t want to have no financial worries?” The answer is no one. So why do the majority fail? Because their desire is wishy-washy. Their desire is shaky and, hence, easily influenced by the environment in which they live in. Another reason most people become stuck is that they’re so worried about how to do something that they lose the focus of their desire. They are so focused on the method of getting there that, when a challenge arises, their desire fades. They feel that, just because the path to their goal is blocked, they should let go of their dream. For this reason, they never get started. And many of us do this without realizing it.

By focusing on your strong desire, you won’t be worried about the how-to's.

It’s said that 80 percent of all success stems from a strong desire, and only 20 percent is the how-to. Ask any successful person and they will confirm it with you. Let me share with you an example. Imagine you have just finished work. You’re rather hungry and, driving down the road heading home, you realize that the route home is blocked by road works. The way home is closed. Does that mean you give up on getting home? Would you simply park your car to one side and sleep in the car for the night, hungry until the next day? You find another route to get home, don’t you? Why? Because you are not focused on the process or the possibility of getting lost. Your strong desire is to get home so that you can eat and rest, and you get there every single time.

“Where there is hunger, there is a way.”

It’s the burning desire that will get you out of bed. It’s this burning desire that will occupy every spare moment you have. It will be the last thing you think of before going to sleep, and it will be the first thing you think of when you wake. If you have a goal, and you don’t think about it with excitement, then your desire is not strong enough. The key is to have a strong reason for needing to achieve this goal and to ask yourself, exactly what the consequences of not achieving it are. Have a clear image in your mind of what it feels like to have achieved the goal. Picture it; smell it; taste it. Now that you have your goal in the forefront of your mind, ask yourself, “What do I need to do to get there?” You must attach an emotional element to your end reward. If your end reward lacks an emotional connection, then your desire will not last the test of time. For example, if you start a business with the intention of earning one thousand dollars a week, unless you have an emotional connection, the chances are you will crumble. Yet if you had a target of hitting one thousand dollars a week because it would mean you can help your family with day-to-day living and remove their stress (if seeing them in stress really hurts you), then you will have a strong desire that will withstand the test of time. Your desire will only get stronger. People will feel your heat. We all have different games to play in life and you may choose one that is challenging. Don’t expect others to accept it, you may even be mocked or be told that you are a fool. You have made a choice.

You don’t want to be going through life by simply playing the easy games. You want to feel good about not being challenged, you want to grow.

Your why is different, and hence, you are pursuing what is important to you. Although you want to get to the end of the game, you don’t know how you’re going to do it. You simply play the game one level at a time. Break your goals down into small steps. A lot of people are scared of reaching higher ground, but it is amazing what heights you can achieve when you take one step at a time. Take one small step at a time always remembering the reason you are taking on the challenge.

Excerpt taken from Kevin Abdulrahman’s book: Winning The Game Of Life