Why do we do it?

I’ve been reading a lot recently from businessmen and women trying to explain why they… ‘do what they do’. Much of what is written suggests high and mighty principles of ‘I do it for my children’ or ‘I do it for world peace’.

All decry any possible financial motive for their efforts as if making money were in fact a dirty obsession to be frowned upon and kept in the closet….

Well let me for one go on record to say – I did it for the fast cars and the loose women.

Actually that’s not quite true – there’s only one loose woman in my life and I married her.

So it was for the fast cars …

Truth be told I attended a seminar when I was about 26 which suggested that you write a list of what you wanted to achieve with your life – you were to keep this list and repeat it as a mantra each night before bed.

My list was based on a series of cars that I aspired to – when writing the list I was driving a Vauxhall Astra 1.3 Jubilee edition in burgundy…which I hated with a passion. At the time I really wanted a SAAB ….so first car on the piece of paper was a SAAB 900 ‘i’

Next was a 900 Turbo

Then a 900 Turbo S

Then a 900 Turbo S Convertible

Then for a joke …I added a Porsche

My business partner at the time thought this was a humorous idea but went along with it for a joke but on his list after the 900 Turbo S he added a picture of a bus instead of a Porsche.

I’m sure you’ve all jumped ahead of me to realise that he was very accurate in forecasting his own future.

Since completing my first list I’ve added and amended my aims and ambitions and still go to bed repeating the mantra of where I’m trying to get to.

I’ve had my ups and downs with business and by no means would I suggest that simply writing a list will help you achieve anything without hard work…but at least having something to aim for helps you focus.

However….I may not have helped world peace or saved any children along the way …

Mike C