TriVita

OK, this may be a little blunt, but when I watch some people live their lives they seem to be confused between sleepwalking and dream stepping! When one of our sons was very young (I won’t give away his identity), we would catch him sleepwalking. Yes, he was moving and God only knows what he was dreaming, but he was asleep. Do you have an entrepreneurial dream that is important to you? Don’t sleepwalk but instead dream step.

After more than 45 years of being an entrepreneur, I have observed several behaviors that are characteristic to entrepreneurial success, whether mine or other outstanding entrepreneurs. I have experienced and observed that you must be engaged in your dream DAILY. Always, and I mean always, take step one… Talk it up. Hear yourself say bold action words about the abundance or rewards your dream will produce for everyone involved. If it doesn’t impact others it is not much of a dream! If you talk about how challenging or how difficult it is, that is talking down not talking up. Talk it up and move from lack to abundance in your talking it up.

Have you noticed that successful entrepreneurs seem to never quit talking about their passions? The subject has to come up, no matter where they are or who they are with or even if anyone believes them. We could name the rich and famous like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Imagine them not talking about batteries, electric cars, solar savings, moving millions of packages sold to online shoppers, or even personal delivery by drones. Oh yes, and the far-reaching idea of commercial space travel and space living. So the first self-test to achieving your dream is simply to assess if you are talking about it as if it were ready to manifest at any moment. Find somebody to talk it up with. Learn to talk it up. Stand in front of a mirror if necessary and talk to yourself. But never quit talking enthusiastically about the dream and the rewards it will bring for all involved. If you have a dream that offers abundance and rewards, talk it up.

If you are an entrepreneur with a dream, whether a little dream or a big dream, the second thing you must do is take daily steps of intention. Move toward your dream. Nothing happens until you start! I like the quote Barry Borthistle shared with me: “If you make an appointment, anything can happen. If you don’t make an appointment, for sure nothing will happen!” Making an appointment is taking a step of intention. Forward action steps, even if they are fail forward steps, are the most important things you can do each day to move you toward your entrepreneurial dream. Some are action steps, planning steps, analytical steps or even reflective steps. Watch out for the distractions that rob you of your forward progress as life is full of them, including mobile devices and big screens!

The second self-test is to examine the amount of time you set each day for forward steps which will be proportionate to the scope of your dream and the passion you have in fulfilling it. Michael Jordan didn’t become the greatest basketball player of all time without daily making the same shots over and over in an empty coliseum with no cheering fans!

It may be that the most important thing you can do is take the first step like Barry said and make an appointment. Something will happen; either you will fail and you can learn from the fail forward step that takes you one step closer, or you will succeed which is just one step closer to your success. Either way, it is a step toward your dream of abundance for anyone who engages with your dream. Stepping forward is the idea here!

Here is one of the best tips I have received in making appointments. People are busy these days and voice mail seems like a convenient way to allow calls to collect for a later call back. But I personally don’t want to leave a voice mail asking for an appointment. The tip is this: simply text the person and request a short phone call. “Hey Michael, I would like to talk with you a couple minutes. Do you have some time today?” If they know you, it is courtesy to give some time. If they have no time for you, they are probably not a good lead in the first place. If they have time for the call, ask for an appointment to share something very impactful in your life that they may benefit from. Be sure to mention that you will make it worth their time with a special gift.

The Share and Care Gift Card system just opened up your world to any appointment you would want to make stepping toward your dream!