part0011

Think of your dream as a flashlight pointing in the general direction of what you want. Vision, on the other hand, is a laser beam. It’s clear. It’s compelling. It’s so compelling, in fact, that it shuts out all other distractions. It encompasses where you want to go and what it feels like and looks like to get there.

An Olympic gymnast nails the dismount before she steps into the arena. A pro golfer lands the shot before he swings the club. A star batter knocks the ball out the park before it leaves the pitcher’s hand. A successful entrepreneur cashes that million-dollar check before she’s made a penny. They envision it before it happens.

Once you’re clear on what you want to accomplish, it’s time to hustle. Hustle is the price you pay to make your dreams come true. Songwriter Joel Baker sums it up beautifully: “Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time.” Here’s one example of how the envisioning process worked in our lives.

We shared a common dream to play in the NFL. Against the odds, we made the team. Great start, but we wanted more. We wanted to be valuable members of the Philadelphia Eagles franchise. We had to prove to Coach Vermeil that he made the right choice. To play at a respectable level in pro ball requires more than a playbook—it requires a clear vision of what you want to accomplish and a no-holds-barred determination to get it done.

We were part of the offense and special teams. That meant we had multiple jobs to do. On offense, our goal was to get the ball into the end zone. At the very least, we needed to score points every time we possessed the ball.

We played on a variety of special teams: kickoff, kickoff return, onside kick (A.K.A. hands team), punt, punt return, field goal, and extra point plays were all familiar territory. The more you could do, the more valuable you were to the team and the longer you could stay in the game.

We were known for our craziness and especially loved being part of the kickoff and kickoff return teams. These teams set the tempo of the game. Every kickoff or kickoff return was like an explosion—definitely not for the faint of heart. It looked like a car wreck from the stands, but those plays were a result of clear-cut strategies and tactics.

Our special teams coach, Ken Iman, printed “Who’s Nuts” t-shirts that would be awarded to the player who made the biggest hit of the game. In the hotel room the night before every game, laughing like a couple of goofballs, we would plan our big hits. We envisioned doing crazy things on the field. We would play every snap as though it were our last. Unbridled joy! We earned a suitcase full of those t-shirts.

One kickoff return play was called a “wedge.” The wedge was like a snow plow consisting of four huge guys weighing between 275 and 300 pounds. That mass of flesh and bone would lock arms and advance at full gallop toward the defensemen to plow a path for the ball carrier. The wedge would smash anyone who attempted to tackle the ball carrier. It was a strategy meant to intimidate and crush the opposition. This bold play had the potential to inflict serious harm. That’s why it’s no longer legal.

Crazy. We know. But we loved breaking the wedge. We would visualize running full-on toward it. Dennis would take out two or more of the wedge blockers. Vince would propel himself over the human mass and make a tackle. In our minds, we were the master wedge-busters of the NFL. Unlike some of our other goals in life, this one, if not executed properly, could result in some serious injuries.

Our wedge-busting strategy began with vision. Dennis envisioned himself as an Army tank. The whistle would blow, the kicker kicked the ball, and off Dennis surged, full speed ahead, indestructible, mowing down the encroaching opposition. Vince envisioned himself as a cheetah, the fastest animal on earth, vaulting over the broken wedge and making the tackle.

As we created these compelling visions, it affected us physically: Dennis optimized his strength, first in his tank vision and then in his body. He was unstoppable. Vince, after so much time spent visualizing the agility of the cheetah, became faster. Our minds paved the way for us to create our reality. We physically felt the shift as our bodies lined up with our visions. Seeing it in our minds’ eyes gave us the edge to excel, and we were damn good at breaking wedges because of it.

The mind has a powerful effect on the body. Placebo painkillers—sugar pills—have been shown to trigger the release of natural pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins. One article in Scientific American references a study involving the outcome of placebo consumption for patients with Parkinson’s disease.1 Subjects who took a placebo experienced a flood of dopamine. In other words, merely believing they were taking a medication that would help them stimulated their bodies to produce a change. This is called the placebo effect.

A similar thing happens when you get very clear on what you want to accomplish—so clear that you can see it; you can feel it. Something happens in your brain and that thing that seemed impossible begins to clarify. You start doing the things that need to be done to get you to your goal. The closer you get, the more motivated you become. You chomp at the bit to close the deal.

Some of us are better at vision than others. You might not be among those able to conjure powerful mental images easily. That’s okay. The process of transforming your dreams into a compelling, reality-based vision can be learned. We’re here to guide you through that process.

First, you’ll need a chunk of distraction-free time—a “dream-conjuring getaway,” so to speak. Put it on your calendar. Schedule an entire day or two if possible. During your getaway, you will work through the following steps. Be sure to take a notebook and pen. Laptops are okay, but can lead to vision-interrupting distractions.

Get into dream mode. Find a comfortable chair, grab your favorite beverage, and let your mind go. For some of us, we think more clearly and creatively on our feet. That’s fine, too. Take a walk, work out, whatever works. Your vision will become the guiding force in your life. It’s worth investing your time to find it. If you don’t take time to clarify your vision, you’ll flounder right out of the gate.