Five Things #4 - The "Secret" Mental Exercise Used By All Succeful People...

As a kid I use to day dream...Truth is, I never stopped.
Sometimes as a kid, however, it would get me into trouble, such as when I had been given an assignment, but got "lost in the moment" thinking about the future and what I would do "out on my own", rather than dealing with the reality of what I was suppose to be doing at that moment in time.

I am constantly amazed at the wisdom of G-d.

Most of us have read, or at least are familiar with the story of Joseph (Old Testiment) and how his dreams early on got him into trouble with his brothers and father, but ultimately it was these same dreams that saved his entire family from the painfully slow death of starvation and pestilence.

But even without being as "gifted" as Joseph, we are all exposed to the wonder of the power of dreams.

However, most of us have this power squashed by well meaning adults who tell us to "get with the program and stop dreaming", and as a result we never harness the power of dreams.

Wealthy people, on the other hand, do possess a similar trait (one of a small hand full) in which they do realize the power of dreams. Or more specifically, the power to "See the Future" they want to possess and then work their way towards it.

Leading authors Steven Covey and Hyrum Smith both call describe the strategy of "Beginning With the End in Mind".
They are correct.

If you have every listened to THE STRANGEST SECRET, by Earl Nightingale you know that the Mind has a difficult time distinguishing between what is real and what is imagined, if what is imagined is focused on constantly. When Donald Trump was still in his 30's many people accused him of being "brash" because of his behavior, but if you talk to Trump about this period of his life, he will share that at 30 he was already believing he was as successful then as he is today, when he was still living in a one room studio apartment with no money in his bank account.

Whether it is Donald Trump, or Sam Zell, or Sam Walton, successful people share the ability to "Start with the end in mind, and work backwards". in other words, to day dream and then dare to lay down a plan to achieve those dreams.

Some people have simply forgot how to day dream.

The circumstances of life have "beaten it out of them".

While others know how to day dream, but it never goes beyond being "just a dream".

The key is to exercise the discipline of writing down the dreams and putting in place the steps required to move forward, while getting the resources (along the way) necessary to complete the journey.

Let me offer a few suggestions on how to "properly" day dream, that is dream in a way that yields productive results:

#1 - Understand the importance of day dreaming. It is impossible to dream if you are constantly in the throws of putting out forest fires. You absolutely have to create time just for you! If you have an employer that offers "flex-time" then seriously think about working a longer work day for four days in order to get a fifth - just for you. But do not use "your day" doing stuff for other people. "Your day" is just that - YOUR DAY. A Day to rest, a Day to plan, a Day to Dream. Dream about what could be, while choosing to leave alone (for a day) what is.

#2 - Pick up and read ( I mean really read, as in with a red pen or highlighter) the Book: WHAT MATTERS MOST by Hyrum Smith. If you have never read this, you are probably not operating your life as efficiently as you could. Simply reading this book will help you to set aside the one day a week you need just for you.

#3 - Carry a pen and paper with you at all times! You can go to Borders (See it is good for something ;) and pick up blank journal books for a few bucks. Keep one at your desk, in your car and on your night stand near your bed. When an idea materializes - WRITE IT DOWN. Do not let it slip away.

#4 - Get your self a piece of good Mind Mapping Software and use it! My favorite tool is called Inspiration. It works on both PC's and Mac's. It is a fantastic tool! You can download a free version at: http://www.inspiration.com/freetrial/index.cfm

#5 - Make a habit of going to conferences and workshops, or more specifically for real estate investing, to real estate club meetings and make sure you DO NOT GO EMPTY HANDED. Some of my absolute best "break through" moments have come while listening to speakers with a pen and paper in my hand. I may (in fact, probably) have heard the speaker before and even have their materials, but for some reason while sitting in the room listening, I start to dream and a flow of ideas comes across for the first time. If I have a pen and paper, these ideas are not soon forgotten!

The lives we live today, are nothing more than the life we lived first, in our mind's eye.
If you are not satisfied, it is because the dream you had in the past was not "big enough".

Start today, practicing the habit of dreaming "big enough", and then exercise the discipline of writing it down, so you can begin to acquire the resources you need along the journey to make the dream(s) come true.