The Secret to Getting What You Want
The Copywriter Column #77
Lately, I’ve been revisiting a lot of my life goals and it made me remember this piece I wrote on Medium a few years ago. I thought it was particularly relevant. Enjoy.
There’s an ancient parable of an old widow who asks a judge for justice against her adversary.
But he’s a stubborn judge (like many men are) and tells her no.
So she goes back.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Eventually, he relents, saying, “Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won’t eventually come back!”
Notice, the persistent widow gets justice.
The persistent widow.
Not the hopeful widow, passive-aggressive widow, the woe-is-me widow, or the widow who sits around and waits for her “break.”
So what’s the lesson here? Hopefully, you don’t need me to spell it out for you.
But just in case:
Know what you want.
Not what your neighbor wants, not what your parents want, not what your partner, spouse, or best friend wants — what you want.
Until you identify what it is you’re after, you won’t work with passion, vigor, or resolve. Instead, you’ll constantly find yourself doing the bidding of others.
“The great secret of knowing what you want from life is to know what you want and believe you can have it.” — Norman Vincent Peale
Go hard for it.
Once you identify what you want, don’t stop until you get it.
There’s a saying: “Passion is knowing what you want, and never stopping until you have it.”
Keep your vision locked like flint on what it is you’re after.
Don’t let anything stop you.
Don’t let anyone stop you (even the decision-makers).
Be persistent.
Like the widow from the ancient parable, you must be actively persistent.
It didn’t matter how many times the judge told her to bug off, she kept going back because she knew what she wanted and wasn’t stopping until she received it. Her passion and determination refused failure.
Similarly, it doesn’t matter how many times you fail, get told no, or encounter roadblock after roadblock.
Instead, like the widow, keep going.
Napoleon Hill said,
“Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” – Napoleon Hill
It’s true.
Maybe you’re encountering a relentless slew of problems in your life, business, or career. Take a moment — pause — and reflect on what it is you truly want.
Once you identify it, make a plan and work diligently for it. Don’t stop. Never take “no” for an answer.
And most importantly, be persistent.
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