Shippers do it. Miners do it. International travelers do it. Settlers did it. Even President Bush did it in regards to WMD’s.

Are you too good to do it?

One thing that really inspired me to do the ‘Hustler’s Inspiration’ series was other bloggers, and their attitudes towards accomplishing goals. Often I would visit a site and see webmasters advertise their hopes and dreams, either in their tag lines or in several posts. Most would post something such as “I want to be,” “I hope I can,” or any of the numerous variations of those statements. A couple of weeks ago I came across a travel site owned by a woman who goes by Debo Hobo (I have a knack for picking out some interestingly named sites). She wants to model herself after John Chow, the famous ‘Dot Com Mogul,’ and has a tag line that reads: The Ramblings of a Wannabe Dot Com Mogul. While nothing is inheritantly wrong with that, I thought that people could do so much more than just wish upon a star.

Debo Hobo Logo: Say that three times fast.

In one of my comments, I told Debo that she isn’t a wannabe, but rather a gonnabe. It’s really important for her and others to claim what they want, instead of shying away from it with statements based on a shaky foundation. We may ‘want’ world peace, a drug-free planet and no taxes, but how likely are we to actually get these things, especially if their are no set goals or plans in place? In contrast, ‘I will make $10k/month online’ is a much more solid statement that is based on a solid belief, and forces you to devise ways to achieve that goal. Saying that you will do something can inspire yourself to act, and it can influence others to pay attention to the next mover and shaker. Your mindset will shift as well, as you no longer are giving yourself an outlet to make excuses, but instead are forcing yourself to create a plan and really think about how you will reach the finish line.

So what exactly does it mean to ‘claim’ something? Let’s take a look at the definition:

claim /kleɪm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kleym]

–verb (used with object)

In contrast, this is what we do when we hope, wish and want:

hope /hoʊp/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronu[hohp]

–verb (used without object)

wish /wɪʃ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[wish]

–verb (used with object)

want /wɒnt, wɔnt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[wont, wawnt]

–verb (used with object)

In all of these examples, the meaning of the word was based on a feeling that may or may not come to pass. There is no certainty, no assurances, nothing concrete. If you don’t claim whatever it is that you want, how will you know that you will get it? The answer is, you won’t know. By definition, to claim is to take a much more powerful stance over the things you desire. You’re saying to the world that ‘this is (or will be) mine!’ and you are willing to do what it takes to maintain that stance. People have no choice but to respect that.

Even if you don’t reach your goal according to schedule or lose a couple of battles, claiming means that you will shake the dust off and get right back in race. Claiming is indeed, powerful stuff. Do you want to be successful, or do you already know that you will be? Claim it!