Truth Truth Bomb Tuesday: Don’t be a useless dreamer
I talked a lot about the power of visualising and positive thinking for a lot of people, it sets their BS detectors off.
This is good. Its good to have our BS detectors on high alert, because I have seen a lot of people tripping merrily up the garden path to self-delusion.
We need to keep it real.
And what do I mean by ‘real’?
Well, we need to be careful that intention-ful and targeted visualisation doesn’t slip into daydreaming and wishful thinking.
You get nothing for nothing in life, that’s the truth. Visualisation is powerful. It gets you focused on your goals, and helps the world align itself around your vision.
But you’ve still got to do the work.
I had one student who totally threw herself into vision boards and visualisation. She painted an incredible mental picture of a massive multi-property portfolio and waterfalls of cashflow.
“But have you got your trust structures in place?” No.
“Have you talked to a lender or a broker and got yourself market ready?” No.
“Have you even done you tax for this year?” No.
Geez. You can lead a horse to water…
Wishing is no substitute for work.
And day-dreaming is a drug. It feels nice. When you imagine yourself in the Bahamas, watching cashflow stream into your bank balance on your laptop, as far as your mind’s concerned, you’re there. It’s actually happening.
And so there’s a release of endorphins and your blood pressure drops – you just feel good.
But there’s a trap here. If we’re not careful, visualising success can be demotivating and de-energising.
How does that work?
Well, if the life we imagine for ourselves, like drinking pinna coladas in the Bahamas, is totally stress free and relaxed, that’s the physical space we put ourselves in. We become stress free and relaxed.
But a little bit of stress is a good thing. It’s an energy and drive. So if we get rid of it all, we need to build it up again before we’re ready for work.
Also, if we imagine that we’ve achieved all our goals, in your mind it’s all done and dusted. It’s beer o’clock.
So then if you run into some sort of obstacle, you mind doesn’t want to dip into your energy reserves. It’s already tasted the sweetness of victory in your imagination. It didn’t have to work for it then, so why should we work for it now?
So there’s visualisation and there’s day-dreaming, and a world of difference between them.
But I still believe there’s great power in visualisation, so how do we harness it to our advantage?
Well, the key is in building up our ‘ticker’. We need build up our ‘challenge busting’ muscles. Challenges are part of the journey, and we need to celebrate that. Welcome the challenges that make you stronger (and they all do).
And visualise a journey, not just a destination. Rather than just visualising yourself on a deck chair in the Bahamas, being oiled down by a pool boy (I know, it’s addictive), visualise yourself as a successful investor, who bounces out of bed in the morning ready to meet the challenges of the day, and who sometimes treats themselves to luxurious holidays in exotic destinations.
Visualise your goals, but also visualise yourself overcoming (joyfully, fluidly) your challenges.
And give yourself an appetite for work.
Without that appetite, we’re all just ‘useless dreamers’.
DB