I'm reading a great book, Finding Your Zone, by Michael Lardon. Dr. Lardon's work focuses mostly on athletes, however the wisdom he shares is as relevant in the office and at home.

Create energy by transforming desire to will

One concept that is particularly interesting to me is the energy we create as we transform our desire to our will.

But it has a dark side.

Many of us work endlessly trying to achieve our goals and satiate our desires. However, all too often our optimism and hope decay into feelings of confusion and disappointment.

The upside of is when it becomes our will.

[Desire] is an essential energy that exists in the pursuit of realizing one's own life dream. However, only when this energy of desire is strengthen and transformed into the energy of will can your goal--whatever it is--be achieved fully and at the highest level.

So what is the different between desire and will?

Desire is the hope for the result. Will is the choice to do what is necessary to make the hope a reality.

Olympic gold medalist, Eric Heiden, captures the concept with his oft-used phrase, "Put the hammer down."

I could say that I want to get up early tomorrow and exercise, but will is what I need when my alarm goes off at 5:30AM. When I hear the alarm, I need to put the hammer down. As I lay in bed, the potential energy of desire dissipates as I lay in bed. If I act, the potential energy of desire becomes the kinetic energy of will.

The lesson, understand that our desires are powerful, but short-lived. We need to act on desires quickly to harness the energy our purpose brings to us.

Question: Am I acting on my purpose today or am I letting my wish just evaporate or worse, turn into discouragement or despair?