How To Get What You Want

Sometimes it’s good to think about what you want. Like in your annual review. Or when you’re coming up with a wish list for your birthday. Or when you’re choosing a degree for university.

In fact, in those moments, it’s crucial to think about what you want (especially your wish list… or you’re gonna end up with a crappy ugly sweater).

But sometimes, thinking about what you want gets in the way of actually getting what you want — which kind of misses the whole point doesn’t it?

Everyone’s always thinking about what they want.

“I want a great job I love.”

“I want my friends to ask me to go out with them more.”

“I want to travel the world.”

And so on…

But if everyone’s thinking about what they want, no one is thinking about what you want… And if no one is thinking about what you want, who’s gonna give it to you?

Instead, be the person to give others what they want… so you can get what you want.

For every person thinking “I want a great job I love”, there’s some hiring manager out there thinking “Goddammit, I just want to find the perfect person for this job”.

And think about it, when you ask your friends to hang out, do you think, “Hmm, which of my friends wants me to ask them to hang out?” or is it more like, “Which of my friends do I want to see because they’re fun and enjoyable to be around?”

So instead of being the person looking for a dream job, be the person who’s gonna be the dream candidate to get that job done. Find a job you think you would love and make yourself into the perfect candidate. Be the person that gives that hiring manager what they want… and you’ll get what you want too.

And instead of being the person wishing their friends would ask them out, figure out a couple cool activities you could invite them out for. Be that friend that always has something exciting up their sleeve that everyone wants to join in on. Or be the friend that always adds some great conversation and humor into any night. Give your friends what they want (a great time) so you can get what you want.

As for the travelling the world… you just gotta find a way for someone to pay you to travel the world. And you do it by offering something that’s a perfect fit for them. This one’s a bit tougher but it can be done… and I’m not bullshitting you either. It’s exactly what Casey Neistat did with his Make It Count video.

He found out what the other person (Nike) really wanted (an awesome ad about Making it Count). He made himself perfect for the job with his filmmaking talents and experience producing ads. Then he found a solution that worked out for both of them. Neistat travelled the world on the film’s budget and Nike got a record-breaking ad from it. Win-win.

So next time you really want something… get what you want by giving others what they want.

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