I heard a Verizon Wireless ad the other day that ended with something like this: because we all want more! Indirectly it was referring to a data plan, but directly it was trying to grab us in our unconscious buying place. You know the place I’m talking about, that place where you wake up the next morning (day or week) and say, “what just happened?”
It’s the place where you upgrade your contract and then upgrade your phone. It’s the place where you buy a new car loaded with bells and whistles you don’t need. It’s the unconscious buying place that gets you at your vulnerable spot—the one where in the moment anything can be justified.
Luckily my money radar was on and instead of signing up for that new program (and a new phone) it made me think, “now that’s a big statement and it really begs the question—more what?” Because whenever we buy something based on someone else’s what—we end up ignoring our own what. In the moment we think, of course I want more data, until we remember we’re not using all our data now. Or, we jump at the XM radio package in our new car only to remember we like NPR!
So what do you do to remember your more what instead of theirs? Here’s three simple steps:
Stop: Seems simple enough but sometimes this is the hardest. We move in a fast paced world that’s geared to keep us moving even faster. It wants us to make a decision now and make it fast before the opportunity is lost. Wrong! Stop, take a deep breath and take the time you need for these next two steps.
Look: Now that you’re stopped, clear your mind and look for the unconscious message you’re responding to. Look what’s underneath—not just the data plan message but for that other message that tells you you don’t have enough (or aren’t enough) and that you need more. Be honest with identifying the hook that’s grabbing you even when it’s something you’d rather ignore.
Listen: Armed with the real message they’re throwing at you, listen to what your internal voice is telling you. What do you want—really, really want, when it comes to more? Is it more free time or peace of mind, a simple life or more money in the bank? Listen to your voice until it becomes louder than that other one—the one that wants you to take their journey, not yours!
Stop, look and listen; something we all learned in kindergarten—the place where most of our most valuable lessons were learned!
