When you know what you want, isn't it much easier to get it?

I would say that it is, at best, an over-simplification, COL Mikel J. Burroughs.

Sometimes the only way to succeed in satisfying a need is through a process of incremental discovery, definition, and accomplishment. Just knowing the desired end goal does not guarantee that you will even have a clue as to how to get there from here, much less the ability to do so.

Goal setting, defined plans, pathways. It is hard to get anywhere when you don't know where you are going our how you are going to get there. When I was cadre at the Arizona Project Challenge that was a large piece of helping the kids. What do you want out of life? How can you get it? What must you do to make that happen? What are the obstacles between you and your goal? How can you overcome those obstacles? Too many times we just play the bull in the China shop role and think that should work. It normally doesn't.

Improvise, adapt and overcome. And if it turns out to be unattainable, accept it and move on.

Not necessarily. With knowing what you want, there also comes into the discussion with whether or not you have the mentality to go after it. Do you have the power to strive to excellence, regardless of any obstacles that may interfere? Most people when faced with an obstacle in-between them and their dreams will fall back. I am guilty of it in some aspects but I have corrected them accordingly.

We cannot allow any type of influences to keep up from achieving what we believe and desire most in life.

It depends on what it is I want. I'm still waiting on that PowerBar jackpot winning ticket ! ; )
I've been wanting that for a while now.

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, outstanding post, sir! A long time ago, when I was an ROTC student at Mississippi State (BULLDOGS!!), the first lesson that we learned was time management. We were given the task to create that schedule, and then we were to brief it during the next class, followed by peer reviews. I remember telling myself that I must tell time how I will spend it versus looking back and wondering where it went - a similar relationship to money and budgets. Knowing what we are after can help with quickly determining the steps to reach it. The hard part is knowing what we want!! Well, not always, but sometimes...

My example would be military education. I always knew what school I wanted to attend next. As long as I prepared, I always got what I wanted. I fortunately did not encounter any pitfalls in this approach.

Some dreams are attainable COL Mikel J. Burroughs. In those cases knowing what you want can help you in the process to achieve it. Children have their needs met by their parents in many cases and receive good even when they don't want it. Our heavenly Father helps in all things including changing our desires and replacing them with better ones and fulfilling those.

I have several Cheshire cats (Alice in Wonderland) in my office to remind me to remember my destination. In the story, Alice meets the Cheshire cat at a fork in the trail. When she asks which path she should follow, he replies with a question: "Where are you going?" Alice answers, "I don't know." The cat then tells her, "Then it doesn' t matter which path you take." That scene always seemed significant to me.