One thing that I struggle with is what I actually want. It sounds strange but it’s something I constantly struggle with and prevents me from focusing on a clear objective. I was pondering what I fundamentally want and came up with the following list:

1. Professional success
2. Family success
3. Life enjoyment

I define professional success as being competent in my chosen profession and having such a reputation. For better or worse, I define myself a lot on my job. I take it very personally when I fail to accomplish my best at work. Being successful at my profession and being recognized for it are very important to me.

Family success include more than just blood relations. I include friends and community in this category too because they all blend together for me anyway. First and foremost I want to be a good husband and father. I want to provide for my family physically and emotionally. As a friend and community member I want to be trustworthy, reliable, helpful, and hospitable. I want to enjoy the company of those I am around and I want them to enjoy my company also.

That brings us to the third desire, Life Enjoyment. Life has a lot of great and beautiful things to experience. I want to experience them and not feel bad about it. That means that if I acquire enough wealth I should be able to buy and do the things I want without feeling guilty for doing so. If I want a really nice bottle of scotch or a fine cigar and can afford it, I should do it without feeling guilt. Along the same lines, if I want to purchase an extravagant gift for someone I love and can afford it, I should do that too.

Maybe those seem like obvious things, but it gives me a foundation from which to move forward.