Tournament of Wants – Social

Purpose

The purpose of this exercise is to look through all the wants, desires, and dreams I have listed related to SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT and find out “Which one is most important to me now?” That is the ONLY question I am to consider. Not “I have to do this first” or “I’ll want this in 10 years…” “Which one is most important to me now?” That’s it. Each round will take two wants and get a winner, and then those winners will face off, and so on until there is only one thing. Let’s see where this goes.

Round 1

1.    Be invited to play a participating role in someone else’s wedding (7/17/10)
2.    Become comfortable with incomplete thoughts (Social Development)
Be invited to play a participating role in someone else’s wedding.
3.    Become familiar with events in my clients’ industries. (Social Development)
4.    Become influential in my area of community focus (8/9/10)
Become familiar with events in my clients’ industries
5.    Become more familiar with relevant current events: Find a relevant source for news – local and national – and review it on a regular (but not obsessive) basis. (Social Development)
6.    Develop conversational skills that incite responses.
Develop conversational skills that incite responses
7.    Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for.
Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for. (BYE)
8.    Gain confidence in unfamiliar group social settings. (Social Development)
9.    Intentionally ask questions that do not have a Yes/No or other one-word easy-answer. For close friends, develop a question more than “how are you.”
Gain confidence in unfamiliar group social settings.
10.    Keep / Guide / Place conversations on the intended / relevant topic. (Social Development)
11.    Maintain a strong friendship with another man throughout life, regardless of circumstances (7/23/10)
Maintain a strong friendship with another man throughout life, regardless of circumstances.
12.    Obtain a position in public service, either through election or appointment (9/9/10)
13.    Pay attention in conversations with clients about THEIR customers, industry happenings, and set up Google Alerts for these items. Review them regularly (but not obsessively) and forward interesting information to clients. (Social Development)
Pay attention in conversations with clients about THEIR clients and industry happenings; set up Google Alerts for these items. Review them regularly (but not obsessively) and forward interesting information to clients.
14.    Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions. (Social Development)
15.    Run for public office (9/9/10)
Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions.
16.    Share my story / testimony in an auditorium full of people. (8/17/10)
17.    When leading a discussion, have an outline and guide of where the discussion is going. Review the outline following the discussion and make notes on successes and areas where improvement is needed. (Social Development)
When leading a discussion, have an outline and guide of where the discussion is to go. Review the outline following the discussion and make notes on successes and areas where improvement is needed.

Round 2

1.    Be invited to play a participating role in someone else’s wedding.
2.    Become familiar with events in my clients’ industries
Become familiar with events in my clients’ industries.
3.    Develop conversational skills that incite responses
4.    Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for. (BYE)
Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for.
5.    Gain confidence in unfamiliar group social settings.
Gain confidence in unfamiliar group social settings. (BYE)
6.    Maintain a strong friendship with another man throughout life, regardless of circumstances.
7.    Pay attention in conversations with clients about THEIR clients and industry happenings; set up Google Alerts for these items. Review them regularly (but not obsessively) and forward interesting information to clients.
Maintain a strong friendship with another man throughout life, regardless of circumstances.
8.    Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions.
9.    When leading a discussion, have an outline and guide of where the discussion is to go. Review the outline following the discussion and make notes on successes and areas where improvement is needed.
Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions.

I’m really not sure about these goals. They’re all kind of vague? Or maybe they’re not. Maybe it’s because I’m watching the Colts stomp the Texans while I work on this.

Round 3

1.    Become familiar with events in my clients’ industries.
2.    Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for.
Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for.
3.    Gain confidence in unfamiliar group social settings. (BYE)
4.    Maintain a strong friendship with another man throughout life, regardless of circumstances.
Gain confidence in unfamiliar group social settings.
5.    Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions.
Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions. (BYE)

I am seeing where this is going now.

Round 4

1.    Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for.
Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for. (BYE)
2.    Gain confidence in unfamiliar group social settings.
3.    Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions. (BYE)
Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions.

The second one in this group seemed quite similar, but as I thought about them, to be honest, I’d rather just BE in unfamiliar social settings than BE CONFORTABLE in them. I can deal with awkwardness, and actually I kind of like the process of becoming comfortable… I know without a shadow of a doubt it comes through practice, and that’s what’s important to me NOW.

Final Round

1.    Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Possibly even consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for.
2.    Place myself in unfamiliar social settings. Go into the event with a good answer to the question “what do you do?” and be prepared to meet new people with specific personal questions.
Develop my own personal response to “how are you,” that while genuine, is not as shallow as “fine.” Also consider the answer to this question each morning, affirming how I am, who I am, and what I am here for.

I think both of these are very meaningful desires for me. However, looking at the “big” social picture, besides just the business networking side of it, I realize that there is a significant level of uncomfortable-ness with myself, and much of that is because I really don’t take the time to think about how and who I am each day. I’d like to spend some extra time developing that habit.