Good morning, my friend. Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you are starting this new day with a positive outlook and a willingness to tackle any challenges that come your way.
In my previous blog discussed the 7 pillar of success. Today I want to talk about the fundamental building block for your career, which is your vision. This is an essential step, even for seasoned hoteliers with great career success. It’s vital to revisit your concept occasionally and, most importantly, remember your original career and life objectives.
I learned this truth firsthand during a life-changing experience I had in 1993. While working at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles, I participated in Tony Robbins’ “Date with Destiny” seminar. One of the things that stuck with me the most was his emphasis on the power of dreaming. I want to share some of his powerful words with you exactly as he spoke them:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m Tony Robbins, and I’m here to remind you that you can achieve greatness beyond your wildest dreams! Today, I want to talk to you about the power of dreaming. Walt Disney once said, ‘If you can dream it, you can achieve it.’ But how often do we allow ourselves to dream? How often do we take the time to visualize our ideal future and really see ourselves living it? Let’s be honest; for most people here, the answer is ‘rarely, if ever.’ But today, that’s going to change. Today, you’re going to permit yourself to dream big. You’ll take moments today, tomorrow, and the day after to visualize your perfect future with all your senses engaged. You will see yourself as a top executive in your company, leading with confidence and grace. You’ll feel the love and connection of your perfect partner and all the joy that comes with it.
You’ll taste the success of building your business and watching it soar to new heights. And you’ll feel the energy and vitality that comes with being fit, healthy, and living at your ideal weight. Some might think, ‘That’s all good, Tony, but how will dreaming help me achieve my goals?’ My answer to you is simple: the subconscious and unconditional energy and motivation from your dreams propel you forward to take action and make them a reality. As you visualize your ideal future daily, you create new neural pathways in your brain that support your vision of yourself and your life. And when you repeat this process consistently, day after day, you’re rewiring your brain for success. So, I challenge you to take a few minutes daily to dream big and visualize your perfect future with all your senses. See yourself achieving your goals and living your best life. And I guarantee you, if you stay committed to this practice, you will achieve everything you desire and more. Everything in life begins with a dream. Take control, dream big, and make it happen! You must allow yourself to dream to know what you can achieve. You must start somewhere, even if your dream seems impossible or far-fetched. Dream without limitations!”
Those words have stayed with me for over 30 years, and in my mind, I returned to that seminar many times throughout my career.
Why I’m talking about this 30-year-old event and the importance of dreaming simply because I know you want to grow and advance quickly. For your dreams to become reality, you need to do the same exercise daily. Again and again, until it becomes a reality, it may take 2 or 3 or 5 years, depending on your career objective.
My own “little dream” was to become the Food & Beverage Manager in an international 5-star hotel. I just started at the bottom as a dishwasher in a large hotel and tirelessly worked my way up, keeping my eyes and mind on this goal, which eventually turned into reality some 10 years later.
Along the way, I adjusted to my dream. When working at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City, I realized I was very close to my goal and decided that was no longer enough. I made a course correction and set out to become a General Manager.
I still have Waldorf’s old “Log Book” today and see my daily entries and written affirmations. Back then, I did not know about Tony Robbins or the power of dreaming. I had this wisdom from a little book I had picked from a garbage can on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Napoleon Hill wrote it in the 1940s. “Think and Grow Rich” – You can listen to a narration on Youtube(Link). However, I instill in you to own the hard copy of the book. In one of my earlier books, I have described why You should read it, not just listen.
You probably read “The Secret” or “Awaken the Giant Within .”If not, you need to have either of those two. I recommend “Awaken the Giant,” which goes much more into depth and explores your personality, limiting beliefs, and much more with you.
There are so many books on the subject, and reading them all is unnecessary. Stick with the originals and make “dreaming” a part of your daily routines. Ten minutes is all you need, and with time, you will discover the most effective technique to make your dreams a reality. Well, yes, there is indeed an effective technique to apply.
I repeat myself, but I encourage you to take just 10 minutes every day, sit back and dream your dream, no ifs and buts; dream and paint the picture of your perfect career and live in your mind. Do not allow reasoning with the little man in your ear trying to tell you to be realistic. Shut him up!
Now, if you are at that point where you have achieved your goal or at least a goal post? Well, your dream should not end here, never! You, too, must revisit and reflect daily on a new goal post, on a new dream. I am still determining which goal post you have reached, but many colleagues reading my blog have succeeded and even made it into top corporate positions. The danger of being in this kind of position is that you actually close the dream book and move on without revisiting your dream, only to find out later that somewhen, at one point in the journey, you made a “BuBu,” and could have made another decision or selected another job or location. So remember that your dream and vision are also a road map on your journey. From time to time, it is necessary to adjust direction.
Reopen the dream book and take stock. You maybe have reached a great position but still have another 15 to 25 years to go. Dream renewed and make the best out of it.
In my next blog post, I’ll share some of my dreams and how they became a reality.
Take time for yourself today and every other day, and dream big. Who knows what you might achieve?
I wish You a great day and make the best out of it.
Yours
Helmut H Meckelburg