There’s a blog post by Johnny B. Truant over at IttyBiz that touches on want vs. need as they relate to motivation and business success. The conversation has been pretty interesting to follow, especially since Johnny’s post really resonated with me.
Most of the time, want is not enough to motivate me to take life-changing action. Need, on the other hand, sparks me to life. And the stronger my need, the more likely I am to get results quickly.
Some people equate need with desperation, which probably isn’t the best state-of-mind when moving toward a goal. But that’s not how need works for me. Need drives me to focus my energy on a very defined goal.
(Sidenote: Don’t confuse need with needy. Neediness is clingy, stifling and controlling – and closely resembles a victim mentality.)
Want creates conflicting desires for me.
The Conflict of ‘Want’
Here’s a real example of this conflict: I want a newer car.
I drive a 2001 Dodge Durango that we bought six years ago to take our blended family-of-six skiing during the winter. Now that the kids are older, and most of them are working weekends and driving, the family ski trips are done.
But here’s the conflicting part: I don’t want a car payment.
And the argument that supports the conflict is this: I don’t really need a newer car. The Durango is super reliable and, since I work from home and commute down the hallway instead of down the highway, the gas-guzzling 10mpg it gets really isn’t financially painful.
But, if the Durango starts costing me a lot to maintain, or if my driving increases exponentially, my want for a new car will suddenly become a need. And you can be sure that I’ll find a way to buy a more reliable and affordable ride. Even if that means taking on a car payment.
Need changes my priorities.
The Power of ‘Need’
When I made the decision to quit my day job and start a freelance copywriting business, I needed a break from the constraints of corporate America. My home life was kind of a mess and I needed to be around more. But the company I worked for didn’t support working from home or job-sharing so I couldn’t cut my hours to part-time.
As my home stress increased, my tolerance for corporate politics fell lower and lower. After a change in company ownership, where micro-management was taken to a whole new level, I felt like I needed to leave or die. But I didn’t want to trade one corporate job for another. That left self-employment as my only valid option.
So I started planning my escape. And as soon as I made the decision to leave my day job, the details of how to launch my business arrived with amazing clarity. The rest, as they say, is history.
In your quest to start or grow your copywriting business, what drives you, want or need? Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Copywriter Confession: When I was in my teens and 20’s, I’m pretty sure I was driven more by want than need. Somewhere along the way, that changed for me. Maybe it’s a mom thing, where my ‘wants’ usually take a back seat to providing what my family ‘needs.’ Or maybe it’s a getting older thing, where material possessions aren’t as important to me as nurturing my body, mind and spirit.
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- Lessons from 2011: My Top 3 Copywriter Confessions
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- The Problem with Assumptions
