By visualizing our goals, we are committing ourselves to make a decision to get there on a daily basis. The trouble most people have, myself included, is that this visualization is only temporary, something we only think about when we are inspired by something or someone. We think, "Cool, I want to be that kind of person." We might write an awesome post after that, or make the call we’ve been avoiding, but eventually we let that inspiration slide away until next time.

Committing ourselves to anything means sacrifice and that’s something we don’t like to do necessarily. We want it all now and with little to no effort. That only works for lottery winners, so how many of those do we know?

Thanks for the inspiration here, Clayton. This time, I’m not going to let it get away.

Just one ingredient I’d add to the psychological recipe you’ve outlined, and that’s the importance of getting out of your own way sometimes and allowing the success to happen.  Partly, it’s believing you deserve it all, but the way it works is more than just believing you’re entitled; it’s also about not fearing the very thing you’re aiming for. 

We do get, to a great extent, what we really, deep down, want.  Some people, convinced they want, deserve and are entitled to all the things you aimed for and got, still manage to stop themselves getting anywhere near any of it.  It might manifest as idleness, or a series of mishaps and accidents, but self-sabotage is at the root of a lot of ‘failures’.  In truth, many failures succeed in getting what they want, too, until they really change their minds about what that is.  

You brought me down to earth again! You are a true copywriter - you just hit people’s hot spot. Great live lesson in action.

Good work!

I’m all for using the lump 3 feet above your ass… it’s a very powerful tool.

What most people are overlooking is the years of study

The years of being in the mix and learning the lessons only a butt kicking can deliver

the years of putting your money on the line day in and day out and surviving on your sales and marketing skill

I truly learned to write copy when I started placing 15k per week in newspaper ads 20 years ago so I could make my phones ring for my sales staff

I learned to sell getting off a plane with only 5 appointments for the day and needing 2 signed contracts to keep the doors open

Far be it for me to speak for anyone…use whatever floats your boat but the sad truth nobody wants to talk about about is the toil needed to get better

That is rarely talked about

When wood was chosen to build ships in the 1800’s they picked trees that stood unobstructed from any other tree

why?

because the tree that faced the elements from all directions and survived had the necessary strength to be relied upon when facing an unforgiving sea

I look at every sales experience for my service as a lesson that must be learned or we will repeat it over and over again.

It was a loss if we do not get a sale…we have the advantage of having that conversation10,000 times before and the prospect is having it for the first time

Every minute of every day we get better if we apply the lessons from our experiences

No disrespect Clayton but as good as you are you could talk to be 10 hours a day and you could never come close to teaching me as well as my experiences can

Nothing teaches as well as being in the mix with money on the line

I’ll throw a word at you…obsess

my desire to win, to learn, to perfect my craft is an obsession

my desire to beat my competitors is an obsession

that obsession is reflected in my bottom line

Here’s what I get from your post…you can visualize all you want but without doing the work, the study and getting in the mix with skin in the game… it’s all fantasy

Lots of pretenders who never have to show their bank statements to back up their ideas

My philosophy is to learn all you can from all that you can and then get in the game and test yourself…

then learn from the greatest teacher in the world…your experiences

Your last couple of paragraphs, in your 5/15 comment are a radical departure from any I\’ve seen on the subject of prayer. What a cool way of looking at it.

How incredibly selfish we are when asking our deity of choice to make this promotion a winner, or to keep it from raining for our kid\’s soccer tournament or whatever.

I never looked at it that way.

Thanks and keep up the great work!
Dan

What is required for a clear understanding of the world can be got only with the faculties of our brain, but these are very much on the `endangered\’ category list. There is much that is happening to rob us of our rational minds and put us in a very loose and sloppy condition without the use of our brain power, which is equated with a dream-like state by some wily tacticians like politicians and certain successful `marketeers.\’ No wonder any sort of deeper mental approach or curiosity is condemned as totally inappropriate for success in life. A belief that carries on in a vapid and `unproven manner\’ seems to be popular and acceptable to many. No wonder there are so many scams on the net.

I couldn\’t agree more, and when you turned it around and actually described how the visualisation techniques used by (the more effective) gurus worked for you, I was completely smitten!!

Thank you for sharing your success. I\’m working on sharing my own with you … as it grows …

John

I have to say I took something quite different from the movie you so cleverly avoided mentioning.

To me, the movie says something very close to what you said just now in this article. I never thought that they advocated \\\”lying in bed and thinking myself rich.\\\”

In fact, I noted that one of the speakers is a well known author/editor and another is a direct-response copywriter!

I guess what I took from the movie, is believe that you are important enough to deserve everything you want, and focus on achieving your goals so that you\\\’ll be ready to take advantage of oppurtunities when they come to you.

And the steps they talk about are
1- getting clear on what you want (down to the smell of the leather in your dream car)
2- take inspired action toward your dreams
3-Take time to enjoy your journey

\\\”Chance favors the prepared\\\” and all that…

Just my 2 cents.

Well thanks for your time, and the use of this forum-

Steven Cundiff