This blog is written by Jen Josey, Real Estate Investor, and REIGN Coach. She is not a professional writer and writes like she talks so put your red pen away. Jen is extremely opinionated but reserves the right to change her opinion at any time because, well, that's the way she rolls. She may also use colorful language so don't be offended. Jen does not claim to be an expert, she is just sharing her personal thoughts and adding a perspective on investor topics that may benefit her readers. Jen also finds it strange to write in the third person. Enjoy!
Several years ago, before we started our real estate business, Vance called me at my job to let me know he was just fired. This was such an unexpected blow. I was really proud of him for keeping his shit together because I would have been a hot mess in a ball on the floor. He asked if there was any way I could leave work so he could get added to my cell phone plan, he only used a work cell which he had to turn in as he left the building.
I left work immediately. In the thirty-minute drive home, so many different scenarios were playing through my head. Vance was definitely the breadwinner at the time so I'm not going to lie, I was worried. How quickly would he be able to find another job? How would we get through the next few months? How is he going to handle all of this? How am I going to handle all of this?
When I pulled into the garage, I passed the beer fridge on my way inside, grabbed two beers, took a deep breath, opened the door, and exclaimed, "Yay! Congratulations on the start of vacation!" Vance looked a bit defeated but was relieved to see a smile on my face. Before we left for T-Mobile, we enjoyed our 11 am beers and I told him to take the next two weeks and enjoy the time off. Sleep late. Stay in pajamas all day. Binge on Netflix. The next two weeks were his to do whatever...he has absolutely earned it.
Once the two weeks were over, we sat down together and created a plan.
Vance is a numbers guy so I asked him when he wanted to have a new job. He calculated how much severance was available and picked a date that was about ten weeks out. If he found a new position by that date, he would also be able to put the remaining severance to finally replace the ugly blue countertops in our kitchen.
The date he picked to find his new job was October 31st.
During those ten weeks, Vance would wake up to his alarm and get ready like he was going to work. He set a goal of researching five to seven companies each week and submitting a resume to at least one. His research consumed most of his workday.
About four or five weeks in, Vance was really interested in a particular company so part of his morning routine was driving to that location during the morning rush hour. He would also take a lunch break and eat at restaurants near this office. That job opportunity ended up being a bad fit for him so he then put his focus on a start-up that was getting a lot of buzz in the community.
Some people would allow the disappointment of losing their job to crush them. Others, like my awesome husband, put their trust in the law of attraction to unfold an even better future. In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield has an entire principle titled, "Act As If." This is a great strategy for success to act as if you are already where you want to be.
"Going through the motions" sends a powerful message to your subconscious to find creative ways to achieve your goals. It triggers your reticular activating system (RAS) so your brain starts paying attention to anything that will help you reach your goal. Remember when you needed to buy a new car and as soon as you decided brand and make, you started seeing that car everywhere? That's your RAS working for you.
A more scientific definition of the reticular activating system is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so only the important stuff gets through. The "important stuff" is determined by your beliefs. This is another reason why people with opposing political views can watch the same news story and the conservatives hear it one way while the liberals hear it a completely different way.
In his book, The Success Principles, Jack Canfield introduces an activity call The Millionaire Cocktail Party. It's a role-playing exercise where a group of people acts as if they are at a social event and everyone in the room has already achieved their ultimate success in life. They act as if they already have everything they want like their dream home, their dream car, their dream career, etc. Conversations may go like this...
Person A: Did you all see my new Tesla? I just love the glass roof and how quiet she is.
Person B: I thought that was your new ride! I parked my new Audi next to you!
Person C: Have you installed a charger for your Tesla at your lake house? We were trying to decide if we should add one at our beach house.
Person A: We are definitely going to add one when we return from Rome. So how is your book coming along?
Person C: This 4th book is coming along great. I hope it beats my 2nd book that jumped to the top of the NY Times Bestsellers in just a week.
Person B: That's amazing! Once it's published, I'd love to have you on my podcast to promote it. Did I tell you that I'm interviewing Tony Robbins and Brene' Brown next month?
As the activity continues, the participants begin to act differently as their thoughts become things. This visualization exercise is a fun way for them to FEEL like a millionaire simply by acting as if they were. The more time they spend in this activity, it sets the foundation for their subconscious to start attracting possibilities. A really cool thing about your RAS is that it can't distinguish between real events and events that haven't happened but you believe to be true.
Another great book is Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold where you learn to create a very vivid vision, three years into the future. Vance and I created our own vivid vision at the end of 2019. The entire thing was written as a reflection of our business life in the year 2023. Little did we know this effing rona was going to take over a few months later. However, in the last eight months, during this pandemic, several items from our vivid vision have come true. Vance did open an agency, he even did it 3 months earlier than what we visualized. We also wrote that he would have 4 agents on his team by the end of 2020 and he's already achieved that goal! I envisioned that I would have my first speaking gig in January of 2020, which I did. Even though in-person events have halted, my vision led me in a different direction by introducing me to podcasting. It's a medium that I was not expecting yet that has built my followers and increased membership in my virtual mastermind, REIGN.
Anyone can get closer to their goals by acting as if it's already a reality. Take the time, right now, to write down how your life will be in 3 or 5 years and make sure you dream BIG! What kind of car will you be driving? Where will you be living? What's going on with your career? What are your relationships like? What does your day-to-day life look like?
Once you have a clear picture of what life will be like, start acting as if you ARE that person. You will be amazed at the people and things that are drawn to you because you are living in a state of expectancy. Trust your internal GPS system to unfold the perfect path.
Anything is possible...just ask Vance. He accepted a job offer from that start-up on October 30th, a day BEFORE he had decided when he would have a job...and mama got her new countertops!
Jen Josey is a Canfield Certified Trainer and subject material from this blog was adapted from Jack Canfield's The Success Principles™:How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. If you would like to read more blogs by Jen Josey, visit