From The Achievement Habit

What would that
do for you?

Most of us chase surface goals when the real desire is buried underneath. This simple question, asked repeatedly, peels back the layers until you discover what you actually want.

0

“I want to buy a new car”

1

“I'd feel more confident”

2

“People would respect me”

“I want to feel valued”

What's something you want right now?

Name a desire, goal, or something you've been chasing.

⌘↵

About this exercise

Bernard Roth is a professor at Stanford's d.school and one of the founders of the field of design thinking. In The Achievement Habit, he teaches that repeatedly asking "What would that do for you?" helps break through surface-level thinking to reveal our true motivations—often leading to simpler, more direct paths to fulfillment.

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