“The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.”

~ Ben Stein

It’s a big little question; What do you want? And with barely two weeks until summer is over, it’s a great question to ask yourself.

What do you want for yourself right now, and for the next week or so… not only so you can really enjoy the rest of summer, but also so you can head into Autumn with clarity and excitement about the work you are doing.

We rarely take the time to ponder such things, so why not do that now. Watch the video below, or read the transcript that follows, and then #CarpeFreakinDiem the rest of your summer!

Hey, Michelle Cederberg here on a morning walk with my lovely Lilly dog, keeping me accountable to a.m. exercise, no matter what…but that’s another story.

As we came out this morning, I noticed that it’s a beautiful summer morning, but you can feel that chill in the air that suggests that summer is coming to an end.

Do you ever feel like it’s too soon? It always feels like it’s too soon in Canada, that’s for darn sure. Well, September long weekend is a week and a half away, and after that, it’s back to school. If you’ve got kids, they’ll be heading back to school, but as an adult it also feels like back to school time.

The days are getting cooler, they’re getting shorter, and it’s time to dig in and do the work. No more long hazy days of summer, and no more long weekends for a little while… So how does that make you feel?

Are you excited about the prospect of digging in and doing work? Are you dreading the fact that you’ve got to shift away from fun, and focus more on the doldrums of day to day life?

I’m hoping it’s the first one, because people who are fulfilled in their work, and who find purpose on the job, are more engaged in the workplace, and make a bigger impact with their work. And, that often translates into promotions, more money, and all sorts of good stuff. And it definitely translates into less stress in the workplace if you like what you’re doing.

If you don’t like what you’re doing, start off by watching my video on reigniting purpose at work, and then start off asking yourself this one simple question, I call it the big little question, and I’ve been writing a lot about it as I write my next book.

The question is: What do you want?

Start every day by asking yourself, “what do I want for myself today, for work and in life?” It seems like a ridiculously simple question, but you’d be surprised by how difficult it is for many people to answer.

What do you want? What do you want in your work, what do you want with your health, what do you want with your relationships, your finances, your life?

All of it matters because when things work well in your whole life, then work is going to work well. If you enjoy the work that you do, then the rest of your life is going to work well. It’s how we work…which just so happens to be the title of my next book.

It’s How We Work: How to Get Clear, Get Energized, and Really Get Shit Done. (Yes, that’s the subtitle…and my hopeful release date is end of January 2019)

The book looks at how we work from three different but interconnected points of view: why we work, or why we do the things we do that shape our work, and life… which is informed by the “what do you want” question. It’s also about the discipline and habits we bring to how we work, and how we can hone those skills to help us do better work. And, the book also looks at how our mind and body works to help us work better, which addresses the mindset you carry, and the confidence you bring to the work that you do, and the things you do physically to make sure you’re thinking clearly and have the focus you need to knock it out of the park? It’s how we work.

And the big little question is a big part of how we work: What do you want?

When you start to get clear on that question, and start to do the things that you need to do to find it, then you’re going to get more purpose and fulfillment in everything.

So what do you want?

Ask yourself that question today, and ask it again tomorrow, and pay attention to what comes up. Then give yourself the next week and a half to take care of yourself, and enjoy the last few days of summer.

Check in regularly by subscribing to my Social Media channels below, and until next time, I’m Michelle Cederberg reminding you that you’ve got one chance to make this life a good one. Dare to live it big.