Nobody Wants This (Except Everyone Does — Everyone Wants Everything)

How to do all the things you are supposed to do and still achieve what you want most.

I recently watched Nobody Wants This on Netflix, and something about it — well, there’s so much to say — but let’s focus on one thing for this post.

The lead, Noah, played by Adam Brody, has always known what he wants. He makes every decision around that singular goal, yet it doesn’t feel like he hoped. Even as it’s working out and coming true, something is missing…

In some ways, that’s the message of this post. We often think we need a clear, singular focus to succeed — that we should know exactly what we want from life, chase it down, and conquer it. But what if you don’t? What if you want more than just one thing?

Then, you will have to take a different path, which may mean embracing the journey, loving many things, accepting that there is more than one right path to take, and finding fulfillment not just from one goal but from the richness of living a full, multifaceted life. Can you do that?

“We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.” — Robert Brault

The first time I heard this quote, I didn’t get it. I mean, I think I did, but I resented the implications. Could I be the reason that I hadn’t achieved my biggest goals?

As a maximalist, a mom of three, and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I was offended by the notion that my lack of singular focus could hold me back professionally or otherwise.

And I won’t tell you that I eventually cracked the code, discovered a big, overarching goal that defined my existence, and then the world shifted on its axis.

Some people know what they want beyond a shadow of a doubt and are willing to set everything else aside to achieve it. And more power to them — I’ll read their books, listen to their podcast interviews, and be inspired by them, but I don’t want to be them. As much as I love my work, it’s one of my things, not my #1 thing.