February 2018 Newsletter Your DREAM is possible

Do you dream of achieving big things? I believe that a dream is a prelude to reality. I know this is true because it has happened to me over and over throughout my career. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, said the same thing using different words: “If you can conceive it and believe it, then you can achieve it.” That quote has been in my head since high school.

I didn’t grow up with a mentor, and nobody ever gave me a blueprint to succeed in business. In high school I was a class clown, always trying to make people laugh and never really taking things too seriously. Even though I had an incredibly loving family, nobody laid out a path for me to follow.

However, I remember where my true motivation came from. When I was 16 or 17 the blockbuster movie Rocky came out, and seeing that movie changed my perspective on life. I realized that if a self-proclaimed bum could develop a strong enough work ethic to become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, then I could create a work ethic just like he did and become a successful businessman. That movie was so empowering for me that I still get chills thinking about it. Fifteen years later when I was building DEEB Realty I hired Jimmy Jamison to sing our company’s jingle. Jimmy was part of the group Survivor that performed the soundtrack for the Rocky movies. When people heard our commercial on the radio, they knew exactly who the performer was. I have always believed that we manifest whatever we choose to have in our lives, and asking Jimmy to sing our jingle was no coincidence.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Les Brown

Your dream can become a reality, but only if you keep working on it. Every day you need to forge ahead and do something –  anything – that will bring you closer to your goal, even you can only set aside two minutes a day to do this. Don’t let anything or any person hold you back from making your dream a reality. Keep in mind that someone else’s opinion of you and your vision is not your reality, it’s theirs.

You were born with the God-given talent to be creative and think of unique ways to make your dream come true. Learn by watching other people who have experienced the kind of success that you want. It’s okay to want the same lifestyle that they have. By adopting the perspectives of people who have already achieved their dreams, you can use their experiences to create your own path. No one can take you to the mountaintop but YOU – your success depends on your faith in your abilities and your drive, desire, and determination to make it happen.

To turn your dream into reality, you need to have a plan of action, not just an idea. To develop this plan, you need to get the clutter out of your life and make room to focus on your dream.

“Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.” – John Wooden

Now is the time to start working toward your goals and dreams. If you don’t start now, you will regret it later on. Don’t be afraid of failure, because failure probably will happen several times in the course of pursuing your mission. Never let failure stop you from trying and trying and trying again. Mary Kay Ash said it best: “When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” Even better is what Robert Schuller said: “I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail, than attempt nothing and succeed.” If you incorporate this mindset into your everyday life, you will see measurable changes.

“Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.” – Nelson Mandela.

Set your sights on small goals in the beginning so you can experience many victories. The more small victories you have, the bigger your victories will eventually become. Celebrate the small victories!

“Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” – Farrah Gray

If you want to make steady progress toward your dreams, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of staying away from people who don’t have a positive attitude. If someone tells you, “If it is meant to be, it will be,” just ignore them. That type of advice will not move you closer toward your goal. You need to believe that if you want something badly enough, you will make it happen…period.

Years ago my peers told me that there was not enough room for another real estate firm in Omaha, Nebraska. If I had listened to them and stopped pursuing my dream, the course of my life would have been drastically different. Don’t listen to anyone who attempts to hold you back.

Are you ready to get started? Here’s a process that has worked for me:

1. Get a piece of paper and write “THIS IS MY DREAM” at the top of the page.
2. Directly under it write a positive statement about why you want this dream to become your reality and how it will change your life.
3. Directly under that write five small steps you can take to move closer to your dream.
4. Schedule each of the five steps. Give yourself a start date and end date for each one so you can make a disciplined effort to see it through.
5. Concentrate on carrying out these five steps only! Make copies of your blueprint for success and put them in your bathroom, your car, your kitchen, your office, or anywhere else you will see them several times a day.

When you have accomplished these five small steps, create a new blueprint with five new steps and repeat the process until the new steps are accomplished. You can’t build anything without connecting the dots and following through on each step to make it happen.

You are now on your way to making your dream come true. If you believe that you might make faster progress by working with a coach who will help you stay on track, give me a call.  There is nothing I like better than helping people turn their dreams into reality.

When you run into obstacles, your attitude should always be “It’s not over until I say so!” Not only is your dream possible, it’s going to become your reality!

If not now, then when? And if not you, then who?

Van Deeb is a coach, speaker, and author who is recognized as an authority on helping people reach their goals, create a written plan, build confidence, and live a more productive and fulfilled life. His proven methods helped Van build one of the largest real estate companies in the country, growing his business from just himself to an agency with 350 associates. Invite Van to present a workshop, keynote, or event at your company. Contact Van at his direct line: 402-680-8448, through email: van@vandeeb.com, or on the Web at www.vandeeb.com