If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It

When's the last time you thought about your dreams? No, not the ones you had as a child, like where you ate ice cream for every meal or took your pet to school. Rather, the dreams you catch yourself thinking of while stuck in traffic or on a road trip. The impossible dreams: starting a business, learning a new language, writing a book, overcoming your biggest fear.

​There's power in realizing your dreams. The hard part is figuring out how to get there. That’s where the works of Napoleon Hill, Elizabeth Towne, P.T. Barnum, and other focus-mindset book authors can help.

Napoleon Hill is most famously known for his books on mindset and success, such as "Think and Grow Rich" (1937) and “The Law of Success” (1928). Since then, Hill’s ideas have become foundational resources for people like yourself who want to turn dreams into reality.

​Below are some notable quotes from Hill’s works that may inspire you to take full advantage of your dreams:

American author Elizabeth Towne advocated for positive thinking and believed in the connection between the power of the mind and how we can use it to create the life we dream of. She endured many hardships as a child, but through it all, she was able to pursue her interests and make her dreams of being a writer, editor, and publisher a reality. Here are some of her words:

He was known for his larger-than-life shows, legendary career, and (albeit controversial by modern standards) exhibitions. P.T. Barnum's books, like "The Art of Money Getting," are must-reads for uncovering the motivation to make your dreams come true. Notable quotes from this work include:

Now that the words of successful thought leaders have bolstered you, it’s time to learn how to make your dreams a reality. One way to do that is through visualization techniques:

Outcome visualization is when you picture in your mind exactly what you and your life will look like once you’ve realized your dream. When you practice this mindset, consider what you want to look different:

Perhaps you dream of becoming a marathon runner. In this case, your answer to these questions could look like this:

​"I live in a suburban neighborhood with my family. There is a nearby trail where I practice running. I set aside 1 hour every other day and 2 hours on the weekends to train. I regularly sign up for marathons to compete in and have created a space in my home to store all my training gear and awards."
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​Outcome visualization makes it easy to imagine the result of the dream you're trying to accomplish. And if you pair that mindset technique with motivational quotes from successful mindset leaders like Napoleon Hill or Elizabeth Towne, you’ll be unstoppable.

Process visualization is the sibling to outcome visualization. With this technique, you focus on the "what". What steps do you have to take to reach your goal? What tasks must you accomplish? By breaking your dream down into smaller, bite-sized steps, you may find it easier to achieve your goal.

For example, let's say you dream of writing a book. How can you break this process down into individual steps? Here’s one example:

Step 1: Write down your core book idea
Step 2: Develop an outline
Step 3: Make a writing schedule
Step 4: Develop a rough draft
Step 5: Edit your draft
Step 6: Review your new draft

And so on until you’re holding your freshly printed book in your hands.

​Visualizing the steps you must take to make your dream come true can help eliminate any unforeseen obstacles. It could even reduce any anxiety or overwhelming feelings you have about getting started.

For many people, goals and plans never come to life. But it’s time to change that. You have to change that to achieve what you want. Whether you look to the words of successful authors and dreamers like Napoleon Hill, Elizabeth Towne, and P.T. Barnum, or change how you visualize crossing the finish line, no dream should stay that way forever. So, figure out how to climb that peak, write that book, or start that business. You’ll be summiting your goal in no time.