THE LISTS

SKILLS - TALENTS - THINGS I CAN DO WELL ALREADY

Something that will help you is to think of things that others have told you that you are good at. Think of things that you have been complemented on after doing them. That will start your thinking process. Just to help you get started, let me give you some examples of things that you might put on your list:

When you set goals, 60% of your goals should be "TO BECOME" goals and not "TO HAVE" goals. Can you see where we are going with these lists now? The second page will be a list of talents you want to have. Skills you always wished you had. Can I give you some more examples just to get you thinking:

To fill out this list you might say, I KNOW HOW TO:

This list should be a serious list of things that are floating around in your mind. They are always there. They are things you keep saying, "I WISH I COULD......". Now I am asking you to write them down.

Your third page is different from the skills and talents page. Specialized knowledge is something that you have learned. Things you know about rather than have a skill to do it. They are things that you can say you know more about than the average person. Things that you know the best way to do something better than some one else. These are things you "KNOW A LOT ABOUT" rather than "BEING GOOD AT DOING".. Go back in time clear to your childhood.

To fill out this list say, I KNOW A LOT ABOUT:

I think you are get the point now with the second page to each of these lists. You make a list of the things that you want rather than the things you have.

There will seem to be a lot of similarity between skill/talent and specialized knowledge lists. A skill or talent is something you do or have an aptitude to do.

(EXAMPLE: THINGS YOU KNOW HOW TO DO - Play the piano, give talks in public, drive a car)

To have specialized knowledge is something you have a great deal of information about. Normally it I something you learned in school or with on the job training or with experience. (EXAMPLE: THINGS YOU KNOW ABOUT- All of the state capitols in the USA, Know all the sales techniques of your company, Know all about the culture of Germany)

Of course there is a very close relationship between things like knowing a lot about raising roses (but that does not mean you can do it) and having the "green thumb" talent to raise prize roses (which proves you can). Don’t let that similarity confuse you.

LIVING PEOPLE I KNOW -OR I HAVE KNOWN

Why would I ask you to make a list of the people you know? Well, you will only know that after you start making the list. You will be surprised who you know, but more importantly, as you start making this list, you will start thinking "NETWORKING". That is right. Networking. That is one of the most important principles of success. As you start to see your talents, skills and specialized knowledge you will begin to learn how to dream. I know you will. You can not help but do it. And as you do, this list of people you know and have known will start to flower in your mind and the three lists will come together like a great work of art. Then you will start to understand the power of Master Mind Groups.

List every person you know. Start with your mother and father if they are still living just to get started. List every person in your family. List every person you have ever worked with EVER!!!!! List every person that you have met as a neighbors where you used to live. Make this list pages and pages long. This list of people will become invaluable to you. Don't neglect it. List every living person you now know and every living person you can ever remember knowing. Grade school teachers, friends, relatives, work associates, list them all. This list normally will end up being several hundred.

PEOPLE I WANT TO KNOW OR WANT TO BE LIKE

This list has two purposes. It will become the list of mentors. The people on this list do not need to be people who are living. List the people here that you would like to know or have attributes like in your life. When you make this list include living people that you would like to meet and get to know. Don’t be afraid to be outrageous. For example the Queen Of England. If you have ever wanted to meet her in person then list her. Do you dare to dream a little? List every person you have ever wished you could meet and get to know. Yes it is OK to list Bill Gates. Can you see now how this list in particular is starting to push your "DREAM BUTTON" in you mind. It is starting to work. I can tell. So keep going.

Of all the lists you have made so far, this is the most important. Many studies have been done on children at play and adults at work and the relationship. The things that you used to love to do as a child should have become your occupation. Sadly that is not the case for many of us. This is a very critical list. Start with as young as you can remember and list everything that you remember as a child that you used to love to do. Did you know that is why the Boy Scouts have merit badges? It is to help the boys try a great variety of things to help them learn what they like to do in life. As you make this list, your "DREAM MACHINE" will start to come into full play. You will find great joy in making this list. When you are done, this list will give you more power to dream than anything you have ever done in your life. As you review it, it will bring feelings of joy into your soul more than you have ever imagined possible.

Now for the ignition of the rocket booster in learning how to dream. This list will launch you off into a wonderful new world of joy and happiness that you only hoped could be possible in the past. If you will be totally serious and make this list as directed it will create a miracle in you. Write down the very things that you would actually do if you just won a 50 million-dollar lottery. Be serious yet outrageous. It will ignite your dream machine. List anything you want, things that you would actually do if you had all the money in the world. This is the beginning of your learning how to dream. Write those things down you almost don’t dare say out loud. Close your eyes and VISUALIZE yourself doing them as you write. Have fun with this list. Remember this is just a dream, right?

MY MILLION DOLLAR PROMISE:
I promise you as your friend and fellow student of life, that if you will do this exercise of making these lists faithfully, when you get to the last list, anything that you write on that list can and will come to be. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO DREAM, you can have it. You can be anything you want to be if you want to be, but you have to be willing to dream. You have to be willing to hope. You have to be willing to wish. You have to desire to be different. If you will learn to dream, things will come to be.

Start with the first list. Write as many things as you can think of then go to the next list. Don’t get stuck on one list. Come back to each list until you have at least 40 things. It may take you a couple of weeks to complete this assignment.

If you will write these eight lists down as I have asked you to do and then read them and work on them, they will create the power within you to change. They will help you believe in finding your dream and your dreams will come true. I promise you from my own personal experience from having done it myself and from my experience in helping may other people to do it as well.