29 tips for turning

1. The Awesomeness Academy
29 Ways to
Ignite Your
Dreams
by Rodrigo Stockebrand
Published October 2012

2. Section 1
29 Ways to Ignite 11. Set reminders
12. Take a trip
your Dreams 13. Create a mini launch
14. Pray
15. Create a glimpse book
Table Of Contents
16. Call your parents
1. Write down your dreams
17. Talk to a friend
2. Put them where you can see them
18. Write a success letter
3. Feel the pain
19. The 80 year old you
4. Go people watching
20. Imagine what it will be like
5. Invite someone who inspires you to lunch
21. Create a 2 minute movie
6. Just start.
7. Read the right books and magazines 22. Listen to your words
8. Prepare to fail 23. The worst case scenario
9. Expect to freak out 24. The inspiration list
10. Do lots of tiny actions 25. Start small
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3. 26. Start early
27. Find your purpose
28. Who do you owe it to?
29. Tomorrow
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Find more tips and tools at www.theawesomenessacademy.com
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4. On anything... a napkin, a notebook, a smartphone, a wall, what-
Introduction
ever you can find. Just get ‘em where you can see ‘em. They
will be easier to remember, harder to ignore, and always acces-
What do you dream of becoming? What does your perfect life sible when you need them most.
look like? What business have you always wanted to start, but
If you’re having trouble starting- start with the answers to these
have never gotten the chance? What ideas do you have to
questions:
change the world?
What is my idea of the perfect job?
Many people have dreams, but few actually turn those dreams
into reality. The following pages contain 29 tips for taking those What are the five things that I’m really awesome at?
dreams and turning them into reality; regardless of your age,
gender, nationality, religion, income, relationship, or any of What are two groups of people that I’d really like to help?
those other things we let get in our way. If I could have anything right this very second, what would it
Take time to read through each of the tips, but above all, dig be?
deep for the courage to actually take that first step. Everything What would the “dream me” be like in a movie?
changes with that step. And unfortunately, reading this doesn’t
count. Unless of course, you’re reading this while walking, on a
treadmill, or on a bike.
2. Put them where you can see them
The world is counting on you, and God’s got your back.
Print out your dreams and place them in the two places where
Enjoy.
you are most likely to see them. For me it’s the refrigerator and
the car steering wheel. What are yours?
1. Write down your dreams
3. Feel the pain
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5. Most people want to change the world but don’t really know Sometimes, all our dreams need is a little proof that they are
what needs to be changed. If you have a dream in your heart to worth pursuing. And sometimes that inspiration can be found in
help others, close the computer and go outside. Volunteer. Ask a $2 cup of coffee, and an afternoon observing life happening
questions. Expose yourself to learning more about the chal- around us.
lenges, needs, and issues that the world is counting on you to
If you really want a challenge, go people watching in a different
solve.
country. At the very least, you’ll discover how similar we all
It’s okay to donate time and money online, and in fact some- really are (and how coffee should actually taste).
thing we should find more time and resources to do. But if your
dream is to truly make a dent in some type of social cause,
you’ll have to take a different route. One that will require more
of you.
5. Invite someone to lunch
Regardless of whether your dream is to change the world, Every lunch is an opportunity to connect with someone new,
change an organization, or change a process that you know is spend time with someone you love, or thank someone you’re
wrong. It’s only once you truly feel an issue, that you’ll find the grateful for.
guts to actually do something about it.
Don’t take lunches for granted, regardless of how busy you are.
Whether it’s a two hour formal lunch or a standing 15-minute es-
presso and bagel, make the most of this wonderful intermission
4. Go people watching of awesomeness given to us each day.
A great lunch may sometimes change your entire life, but al-
It’s amazing what one afternoon at a coffee shop in a busy city
ways changes the second part of your day.
can teach you about people. Jobs are being offered, gossip is
being spread, and first dates are ending awkwardly all around
us.
6. Just start.
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6. For months, a young artist by the name of Michelangelo sat see the vast number of books written on even the most specific
and stared at a rather unique wall, located in the middle of a of topics: Vegan Diets for Poodles, anyone?
bustling Italian city. After seeing this young man over the course
All things considered, there is still a lot of important and valu-
of many months, an elder man stops to ask, “young man, why
able information in those books. So reading them is a must.
do you waste so much time here staring at this wall, and not
The question is, which ones do you pick?
working?” The young Michelangelo, strong in his gaze, simply
responds, “I am not staring, I am working.” Two years later, the Start by going to a book store that has a good selection of
statue of David was built from that very wall. books related to the topic you are interested in (at least 50
books on the topic). From there, take a quick read through the
In almost every situation, we don’t need tools or resources to
inside and back cover synopsis. Next, take a picture of the 6-7
get started. The magic is in the idea, and the idea is just waiting
books that catch your attention the most (with your smart-
for a chance to come out. All we need at this very moment, is
phone). Lastly, go to Amazon.com and see which of those
the courage to start. It only gets harder with each passing day.
books has the most, and the most positive, book reviews.
So, grab your calendar. Mark today as the day you refuse to
keep staling, and the day you start. For magazines, a 5 minute flip through the table of contents
and inside pages will give you a good idea as to whether you
would actually take the time to read through the articles. Keep
in mind that with an average cost of $4.00 and only 30 actual
7. Read the right books and magazines pages of no-ad content. It costs about $.13 to read each page.
It may not seem like much, but count how many magazines you
Most people don’t actually read more than 2 books per year.
have at home that have gone unread and multiply that number
While the intentions and the desire of reading may be there, we
by 4. If it’s a really high number, it’s probably better to not buy a
just don’t have the time and patience to get through 200 pages
magazine.
like we used to.
As an alternative to books, and in cases where you may have a
Ironically, there are now more books than ever published be-
long commute or down-time, try the audio book alternative for a
fore. Just walk into a Barnes and Noble bookstore and you’ll
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7. particular book you are interested in. Most can be found on any
smartphone or bookseller website.
9. Expect to freak out
Walt Disney was having a bad day. His animation company had
8. Prepare to fail recently gone bankrupt, and he was just fired as a cartoonist for
a local newspaper for lacking imagination. This is typically the
Sounds bizarre, but it’s true. Most ideas and businesses will
point where most of us would begin to freak out, lose interest,
face some type of major rejection or failure at their start. The se-
and give up. But this wasn’t the case for Walt Disney. He had a
cret is in the bounce-back and one’s ability to use failure as a
burning desire in his heart to see his dream of Disney World
powerful learning tool.
come true. And after persisting through over 300 rejection let-
J.K Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book on a manual type- ters and criticism from banks, one bank finally accepted.
writer, penniless, as a single mother, and rejected by twelve
Freak outs can be good and bad. The good ones are easy and
publishers, before one took a chance on her.
typically come from exciting news and successes. The bad
Coronel Sanders, frustrated by only receiving $105 in social se- ones however, typically come from the early failures and rejec-
curity, started Kentucky Fried Chicken at the age of 65. After tions. And those tend to pack the hardest punch.
knocking on 1,010 doors and hearing 1,009 “no’s”... one restau-
Failure can show up in many forms. Sometimes, failure means
rant owner finally said, “yes.”
no one shows up. Or money is lost. Or friends are lost. But if
If you launch your venture with the understanding that there will you see it coming, it’s much easier to deal with. If the worst
be failures, most small but some possibly big, you will be much thing that can happen is already planned for- and accepted as a
more prepared to see them for what they truly are: opportunities possible outcome- the fear that provokes a freak-out is usually
to make adjustments and keep moving forward. avoided.
No matter what you do, do it from a place of passion. It will Prepare for the worst, and expect the best.
make every failure seem like a mere bump in the road.
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8. If you guessed scenario B, you’re exactly right. What may look
10. Do lots of tiny actions
like more steps is actually a much more probable route for
A big project can overwhelm us into not taking any action at all. reaching your goals.
Too much to do. Too many resources are needed. The tasks
add up into one big massive ball of exhaustion.
Alternatively, when the project is divided into many tiny actions, 11. Set reminders
they each become something we can almost certainly do.
Let’s face it, we forget things. Some things more important than
For example, in which example do you think you are most likely others (Anniversary, anyone?).
to take action this very second?
When you have a lot of things going on, set a reminder for the
really important things on your, iPhone, egg timer, sun dial, or
whatever works for you. Sometimes a helpful nudge can keep
Scenario A: Goal = Get a new customer
us going when we most want to fall out of the zone, and into our
• Step 1: Contact prospects and close a sale ordinary habits.
Start today, and set a reminder for a 2pm (or 3pm, 4pm, when
you’re available) stretch and short prayer.
Scenario B: Goal = Get a new customer
Besides these daily or more frequent reminders. Create a really
• Step1: Make a list of all possible prospects big reminder in your calendar (e.g. 2 weeks to go until we
launch!). It will remind you of the precious time you have left
• Step 2: Make a list of people who can provide referrals
and help re-prioritize the things you have left to do on your list.
• Step 3: Create an updated sales presentation
Don’t let the day take control of you; take control of your day.
• Step 4: Contact a few current clients to ask for a testimonial You never know how many you have left.
• Step 5: Contact prospects and close a sale
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9. Each morning, at the place where you sit down to work, throw
12. Take a trip
on some headphones, put some relaxing music on, and say a
Sometimes, getting out of town and seeing things from a differ- little prayer to get your day started. Right before shutting down
ent place and perspective can make all the difference in the at night, repeat.
world.
At the end of the day, it will take less time than you’ve already
Just don’t forget to pack light and plan on being outside most of spent on Facebook, and will actually make an impact on your
the time. It’s where inspiration and ideas are most likely to find day and quality of life.
you.
Remember, life is about priorities and we should always make
even just a little time for God in our daily routines. Make today
the day you start. So, right now, stop reading. Say a little
13. Create a mini launch prayer. And continue.
Create a mini version of your launch. One product. One specific
market. Whatever the focus, make sure the numbers will count
and inform the bigger launch. 15. Create a glimpse book
The internet can be a great way to test your idea before you A glimpse book is collage of pictures (from magazines, web-
spend more time and effort creating a larger, and often riskier, sites, wherever you find a picture) that show a glimpse of the
launch of your idea. life you aspire to have. It can be a picture of a 10-bedroom log
cabin in Aspen, a Lamborghini Murcielago, a team of volunteers
And remember, a failed mini launch does not mean a failed big building a school, a group of successful business executives in
launch. So test small, but remember why you’re testing. a luxurious board room closing a deal, a family of five sailing
the mediterranean, and so on.
Take some time today to print out or tear out some pages from
14. Pray websites and magazines (make sure you purchase them if
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10. you’re going to rip out the pages!) that inspire you. Once you
have a good collection, glue them onto a stationary book or
photo album. Have fun with this and get lots of pictures (20-30 17. Give yourself an hour of power
per category - e.g. “dream home”).
When you go to bed tonight, put your tennis shoes next to your
bed and sleep in a fresh pair of running shorts and t-shirt. Set
For inspiration, go into a local bookstore and look at the maga- the alarm for 5:59am and tell yourself this: I know I’m going to
zine selection. Also, use Pinterest.com and Google Images as want to hit the snooze, but I’m just going to trust this crazy guy
your guide. for one morning. And all I have to do is put shoes on and step
outside.
Once you’ve overcome the biggest barrier of just getting up,
16. Call your parents (btw, congratulations-- that’s a huge step), spend the next hour
walking at a slightly accelerated pace (not as slow as walking
There’s just something awesome about getting your parent’s
and not as fast as speed walking) and saying/doing the follow-
take on things. Sometimes, it’s not honestly the best advice
ing:
(and may even be what you don’t want to hear), but they love
being parents and will appreciate the fact that you called them Minute 0 - 15 - Think about your day (what do you want to ac-
to get their input. complish, what meetings do you have, what are the outcomes
you want from those meetings, what is the most important part
Alternatively, call a grandparent, an aunt/uncle/cousin, or an old
of your day, what is the purpose of your day, etc...)
friend that you trust and admire.
Minute 15 - 30 - Think about all of the things you are grateful
Sometimes, just hearing a familiar and trusted voice on the
for
other end of the phone can be exactly what we needed in a
world where we often feel alone. Minute 30 - 45 - Think about what you want your life to be like
(your work, your body, your finances, your life’s accomplish-
p.s. texting, Facebook, or Twitter don’t count.
ments)
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11. Minute 45 - 60 - Give thanks to God for those things (you’re giv- And in the end, you’ll be the one standing. The victorious one.
ing thanks in advance) The one with the incredible story to tell the world. And the child
that trusted in the Lord.”
*This method was created by Tony Robbins and you can find much more information on the Hour of
Power and other early morning workout techniques on his website.
Fold it. Put it in your purse/wallet. And pull it out during the mo-
ments when you need it most along the next 6 months.
18. Write a success letter
Take a blank piece of paper and date it for 6 months from today. 19. The 80 year old you
Write yourself a letter (starting with Dear _______), and tell Imagine you are celebrating your 80th birthday. You’re sur-
yourself the things you will have accomplished by that date. rounded by dear friends and family, and can hear the laughter
What businesses will you have started? What will success look of your great grandchildren playing in the distance. You’ve lived
like? What relationships will you have fixed? What major deci- a great life, and have so much to be proud of.
sions will you have made? What changes will you have made?
What will the you in 6 months be like? At some point in the evening, a guest at the party who doesn’t
know you very well asks another guest, “What is he known for?”
At the end of the letter, write the following: “What did he/she do?
“Like many things, this is not going to be easy. You’re going to How will the other guest respond? What do you want to be
have to face many challenges, rejection, judgement, fear, risk, known for, at your 80th birthday. What will you have done to
and other types of adversity. make your dent in the world?
But keep on. Keep pushing forward. Keep the momentum. And Write it down, and check-in every birthday along the way.
always remember that you are not alone in your journey. The
Lord is next to you. Cheering you on. Guiding your steps. And
fueling your heart.
20. Imagine what it will be like
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12. If you’ve ever read the book, The Secret, it talks about the law This project is much more than just creating a movie and exer-
of attraction (that’s the secret...) and how oftentimes just imag- cising your creative muscles, although that is a big part of it.
ing having the things you want, can cause them to come into The real lesson here is in the doing. The action. And if you can
your life. Sounds crazy, right? But somehow, and for many peo- just figure out that one little part, all else will happen on its own.
ple, it works. Whether it’s a video or life.
So grab a hot cup of coffee or tea, sit back and imagine what
your perfect life looks like. Think of the details: the way you act,
the way you talk, the way you give to others, the way others 22. Listen to your words
treat you, the way you feel, so on and so forth.
Have you ever listened to your self speak? What words are you
Do this every day for 20 minutes, for two weeks. You’ll soon dis- using to explain things? Do you get emotional easy? Are there
cover that you are slowly becoming that person that you’ve certain topics that make you say, “umm” a lot?
imagined.
Grab your smartphone and find the audio recorder, the next
chance you get. Press record and start talking about anything.
Give a speech. Practice your sales pitch. Practice your pick up
21. Create a 2 minute movie lines. Practice an interview. Whatever you can think of, practice
it by speaking out loud and recording it.
Of anything. Just grab your smartphone and go. Capture life as
it happens. Capture quiet and perfect moments around your I used to record myself giving myself imaginary interviews that
neighborhood. Capture a walk to the mailbox and back. What- I’d have once I was successful. I’d ask questions like, “Rod,
ever inspires you, record it. what kept you from quitting?” Pretty corny, I know. But man did
they help. I’d often play back that voice recording when I was
Once you have your footage, use a movie editing software like
facing adversity, or facing a challenging moment in my day. And
iMovie on your smartphone to add in music and edit it down to
it was those words that pulled me back onto the track.
2 minutes. Post it to YouTube when you’re finished.
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13. For bonus points, video record yourself as well. We do some Unless of course, you’re Felix Baumgartner. In that case, forget
pretty weird things with our body language sometimes, so the list of scenarios. Go straight to prayer.
watching yourself can help you avoid making the most classic
of body language mistakes (like crossing your arms, hands in
pocket, hands swinging, etc...)
24. The inspiration list
What inspires you? What are the things that you notice around
23. The worst case scenario you, on the web, in magazines, and in life that inspire you to be-
come more. Keep track of these things in a list. Update it fre-
Can you imagine what would happen if you just suddenly quit
quently. Be specific. And look at it as often as you can.
your job... today? What would happen if you just grabbed a suit
case and left for the airport right this very second with no plan, Here is a shortlist of my inspirations:
no destination, and no agenda?
1. Going to church on Sunday nights
Oftentimes, the worst case scenario is not as bad as it seems in
our heads. In fact, sometimes the worst case scenario can even 2. Going to the business networking events at church
be something positive, like a learning experience. Whatever the
3. Having someone email me for help on something
case, the best way to prepare for the worst case scenario is to
do just that very thing- prepare for the worst case scenario. 4. Watching the movie, the Pursuit of Happyness
Start by writing down all of the reasons for doing a particular 5. Early morning workouts (definitely the part after the workout)
thing (starting a business, traveling the world, etc...). Then write
6. 10-15 minutes into reading the Bible
down the absolute best outcome you could expect from that
situation. Next, write down a probable worst case scenario and 7. A really bad eating day inspires me to work out
get specific. “I could die” is not a probable worst case scenario,
at least not in most situations. And if it is, you may need to 8. Watching the olympics inspires me to workout
strongly re-consider your actions.
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14. 9. Watching the news inspires me to change the channel
As you can see, they don’t all have to make sense or be some-
26. Start early
thing you can actually act on. They just have to be specific, and
things that inspire you. The other day, I came across an old notebook that I had from
2008. I flipped through the pages and came across a page
dated 02-18-08, where I had written 3 awesome business ideas
I wanted to start, and ones that didn’t have any competition (af-
25. Start small
ter extensive research). What was particularly interesting about
The theory of relativity started with a simple question. McDon- these notes is they were extensive. Pages upon pages of de-
alds started as just one restaurant. Dell was created in a dorm tailed plans, action steps, budget break-downs, and tons of
room. No matter what you’re working on, start small. other information about how it was going to work. The problem
was, I never started any of those projects. They were too big.
If you have your idea, build the minimum amount necessary to
show others. Get feedback. Adjust. Repeat. Then it struck me. Today, there are hundreds of companies that
have taken those exact three ideas (it was freaky how close
If you’re still developing your idea, start by solving the problems those businesses were to my notes) and all were multi-million
of just a small group of people. Focus on their needs, and cre- dollar businesses. If only...
ate something they will love.
You see, that’s our problem. We often don’t think that we’re ca-
We often never even start our projects because they are too pable of succeeding. Or worse, we think we don’t deserve it.
big. Too risky. Too expensive. And sometimes, just too dang We say to ourselves, “I could never run a million dollar com-
hard. So start little. Wash the dishes as your first step to finish- pany,” or “I could never write a book.” And we never try.
ing the front yard landscaping. Send an email as your first step
to starting a business. Walk to work (or a mile down the road) The world is moving faster than we all think. There is more com-
as your first step to working out. petition, more information, more experience being gained every-
day. Waiting is no longer a luxury we can afford.
Soon, those little steps will add up to the bigger project.
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15. The choice is ours. Start or catch up. what you offer is truly valuable to others (even if they are a
small group), the money will come.
If you give life nothing short of your purest and most honorable
27. Find your purpose intentions, you’ll be richer than you’ve ever imagined.
There are lots of temptations in life. Bigger homes, faster cars,
more luxurious travel, better restaurants, butler services, and
even a $1,000 per lb. strawberry cheesecake. 28. Who do you owe it to?
But what’s it all worth if we don’t serve a greater purpose? If we What happens if tomorrow you don’t take any action?
don’t leave the world just a little bit better than we found it?
Will the world notice? Is there something on the line? Is some-
Deep down, all businesses, ideas, and people have a desire to one else affected? Will it affect how you see yourself?
help others. But somewhere along the way, money became the
We don’t often think about what’s on the line. Or what and who
priority, the mission, and the only reason for pushing forward. If
is counting on us to push forward. By nature, we just think
you walk into a store and no one says hello, no one is around to
about what’s in it for us. Our goals. Our money. Our dreams.
help, no one cares to acknowledge you, and no one is willing to
go out of their way to give you a better experience, you experi- But we know better. God created us to serve. He created us to
ence what most everyone experiences in a typical U.S. shop- glorify His name and His word. It’s not about us. It’s about Him.
ping day. Service is dead. Businesses are failing.
So what’s on the line is much bigger than we think.
Why? Because people know the difference. They see it in bad
customer service. They see it in hidden fees. The feel it in ex- The stakes are high, yes, but the chances of succeeding are
cessive advertising. You’re desperate. And they, have options. much greater, when God is by our side.
So find your purpose. Make sure it’s something real, and not
based on money. If your intentions are right from the start, and
29. Tomorrow
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16. Tomorrow is a big day. It’s either going to be the day you take
control and action of your future. Or it will just be one more day.
The choice is yours. I hope you’ll make the right choice.
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17. About the Author
About Rodrigo
Rodrigo Stockebrand, 30, is an up-and-coming Christian author that writes in a mod-
ern, and youthful style, on the topic of business inspiration, motivation, and strategy.
He was born in Chile and immigrated to the United States at the young age of 3.
After graduating college with three majors in International Business, Marketing and
Spanish, Rodrigo spent nine years in the advertising industry working at some of
the world’s largest agencies and accounts, including J.C. Penney, Target, NASCAR,
Coca-Cola, Mars, Hyatt Resorts, Unilever, and others.
Over the years, he has independently managed over $500 million in global advertis-
ing budgets, and has successfully launched campaigns to reach over 3 billion peo-
ple, across TV, print, radio, and digital media.
He is a Christian business speaker, trainer, and coach for organizations, govern-
ments, and individuals all around the world.
This is his first publication.
Please contact Rodrigo directly at: rodrigo.stockebrand@gmail.com or on Twitter
@rodr1g0
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