How badly do you want this?
How badly you want something is a determining factor that influences how hard or how much work you put into something.
How bad do you want the position?
How bad do you want that grade?
How badly do you want to get into a program?
It’s a game of your commitment to the goal, journey, or target.
They say the joy is in the journey, which is honestly the truth. How badly you want something impacts how hard you are willing to work for it.
Will you study for that grade?
Will you practice for that interview, how much work are you willing to put in?
I learned this the hard way, and honestly wouldn’t have it any other way but here are a few things I have picked up along the way.
- How much are you willing to sacrifice
- How strategies will you be
- How will you position yourself for the best possible outcome
Before I expound on these points, I’d like to share a scenario I encountered last week.
I am currently participating in training hosted by my student organization, the course has very beginner concepts but very important ones especially when it comes to working on collaborative tasks as developers.
*Side note 100% recommend learning these in the beginning so you don’t have to tussle later on.
Someone was getting so many errors and I felt sorry for them but it’s part of the growing pains. The session was to last 2 hours but the issues this person was having had far surpassed what the facilitator had scheduled for but the facilitator was willing to work and help them fix the issue.
As people dropped out of that call, they just kept sticking to the thing not backing down at all. They were so committed. Long story short they were able to get their code setup running. I was so happy and proud of this student.
How badly this student wanted to get over this hurdle and how badly the facilitator wanted this student to learn a key component one must learn as a developer. Staying the course even when things get so difficult and you have no idea what the problem is or could be, shows a person’s commitment to what they want to learn or become.
It reminded me of what it’s like every day when you choose to pursue something, how bad do you want this is a constant question. When I don’t want to get an assignment done or debug my code. It’s a constant question oh how and do you want it and how much work are you willing to put in?
Going back to my 3 points:
Let’s break this down quickly and ON POINT
- much are you willing to sacrifice
People hear sacrifice and immediately get scared and apprehensive; I like to look at sacrifice as things I have to put off now for something more important. In the near or distant future, if I still want that thing and the conditions are right, I’ll have it. I also might not even want that thing later. Sacrifice is a comma or a fool stop. But I’d rather give myself the option of either or, rather than not having one at all.
- How strategic will you be
You’ll have times when you have to work hard and others when you’ll have to work smart. Figuring out what your current situation needs from you is important. I like to think backwards from a goal, calculate the most fitting method of getting my desired result then start. Having a solid strategy is very important especially if your goal is very long-term, I’m not saying there is no room for change and difference but if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Clearly outline your approach then execute.
- How will you position yourself for the best possible outcome
This ties in with the previous point. Think of your goals as something a bunch of other people are going to help you achieve. Mentors, lecturers, friends these people are a resource you can tap into for direction and connections and to keep the steam going.
You need to strike a good balance, a good balance between how good you are at what you do and who you know. A friend can send you a job application, a mentor can refer you for a position, and your lecturer can put in a good word for you. These people can either be the determining factor of where your skills get displayed to the right people or open the right doors to ultimately reach your goal.
I say all this to say
How badly you want something is the driving force but that force needs a direction, and one with results that grow you.