Business and Fantasy = Oil and Water (?)

When I was a kid, I used to watch "Fantasy Island" with my grandma every week. Even then, I knew that my grandmother had a crush on the main character, Mr. Roarke; but my favorite part was when his sidekick, Tatoo, would run up to the bell tower and yell, "Eh Boss!! Zee plane! Zee plane!" as the island's latest guests flew in.

The premise of the show was that people could pay a fee to spend a vacation on this island and live out their fantasies. They would describe their fantasy in the beginning and then we would watch them experience it. Often it would go in a direction the character had not intended and we would smile smugly and say, "That'll learn ya."  (We didn't normally talk like that, but this show aired right after Beverly Hillbillies and we tended to get a bit wrapped up in that show too).

We all have fantasies rolling around in our brains. Some are impossible, some are inappropriate but some are within our grasp! As an entrepreneur, I am sure you have a fantasy for your business. Maybe it is owning the skyscraper in which your office is based. Maybe it is a change to the world due to your efforts. Maybe it is a feeling of a wonderful and fulfilled life provided to you by the business you have built. Each of us is different and each of us will have a different fantasy.

Too often, though, we view our fantasies as a completely unreachable world. We say things like, "Well I would love for all these things to happen, but I need to be realistic. Here in the real world it just isn't going to happen."  !!!!WHO SAYS!!!!


Your fantasies should not be brushed aside and treated as fluff. They are your brain telling you what you really want! Pay attention to them and use them as a tool that will help you reach your goals. 

Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, plans. All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.

Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

Here is an exercise that may help:

• Take out some paper and start writing out your fantasy for your business (or personal life, or family or whatever area you want to cover).
• Let your mind wander and dream. Don't judge or analyze your thoughts, just record them as they come. (If it is easier to do this by recording yourself talking, go for it. Whatever works for you.) 
• Set that list aside for 3 days and add to it if anything else comes to mind. 
• After the 3 days, review that list and start asking yourself what parts of your fantasy could be a reality now. (You may be surprised at the answers)
• Then ask what parts of your fantasy could be possible in the future. (Trust in your abilities at this point. Hard work and passion can create amazing results.)
• Transfer these items out of your fantasy and into your "real life" vision for yourself and your business. Write them down.
• Then ask yourself, "What can I do TODAY to get me a step closer to making these fantasies a reality?" 
• Ask yourself that last question every day.
• Most importantly ... ACT ON IT! Do those little things each day that will make those fantasies a reality for you in the future.

Don't ignore your fantasies. Explore them and use them as a tool to guide you toward what you really want. Take items out of them that could be a reality and then work toward them.

Don't let society and the wants of those around you dictate your personal and business goals. Look within YOU to find what YOU really want. Your fantasies will tell you what that is.