How to Know What Really Matters to You

I don’t want to know what you would do if money were no object.

I want to know what you will do when money actually is an object.

I don’t want to know what you choose when things are free.

I want to know what you choose when things are not free.

I don’t want to know about your passions.

I want to know about your priorities.

Passion is about what turns you on, what fires you up, and what makes you come alive.

Priority is about what you choose to do when you’re confronted with the fact that some of your goals will require you to defer or deny some of your other goals.

It’s a useful exercise to contemplate what you would do if your actions didn’t cost you anything, but don’t stop there.

If you want to “follow your passion,” don’t just find something fun to do. Find something that’s worth doing even when it’s not fun or free. Don’t just think about what you would live for if you knew you could have it all. Think about what you would fight for if you knew it would cost you everything.

The latter will tell you much more about what really matters to you.