“Dreams Come True When Desire Transforms Into Action.”

Dreams are powerful. They ignite hope, inspire imagination, and open our hearts to what’s possible. But dreaming alone isn’t enough. In this episode, Deanna Ley, The Catalytic Coach, unpacks Napoleon Hill’s timeless quote: “Dreams come true when desire transforms into concrete action.”

Deanna shares her personal process for turning dreams into reality, including her Dream Deck system and how small, intentional actions create the momentum needed to achieve even the biggest aspirations. From tackling simple goals like keeping a clean car to launching this very podcast, she explains how action transforms ideas into accomplishments.

What Listeners Will Learn:
• Why dreaming alone isn’t enough and how desire fuels action.
• How to create and use a Dream Deck to organize and pursue your dreams.
• The science behind dopamine and how small wins build momentum.
• The importance of declaring your dreams and taking small, concrete steps daily.
• How Deanna’s 30 IN 30 process can help you build habits, confidence, and progress.

Memorable Quotes:
• “Dreams need desire to light the fire within us and concrete action to bring them to life.”
• “SHOULD doesn’t move us forward, and SOMEDAY isn’t on any calendar.”
• “Achieving one dream fuels the desire to dream bigger and act with greater intention.”

This episode is packed with inspiration and practical tools to help you transform your dreams into reality, one small step at a time.

Ready to dive deeper?
Get the full DREAM IT. DECLARE IT. DO IT. replay - complete with bonus goodies - at http://DreamItDeclareItDoIt.com for just $30.

Your WORDS MATTER, because YOU MATTER.

❤️❤️❤️

Transcript

Hi, my amazing friends. Welcome to another episode of WORDS MATTER. Today’s quote comes from one of my faves, Napoleon Hill.

He said, “Dreams come true when desire transforms into concrete action.”

This quote reminds us of an undeniable truth: Dreaming alone isn’t enough.

Dreams are incredible. They ignite our imagination, inspire hope, and give us a glimpse of what’s possible. But if they stay locked away in our hearts and minds, they remain just that—dreams. How often do we find ourselves saying, “I should do this,” or “Someday I’ll make that happen?” Here’s the thing: SHOULD doesn’t move us forward, and SOMEDAY isn’t on any calendar.

Dreams need desire to light the fire within us, and they need concrete action to bring them to life.

For me, capturing and acting on my dreams became much clearer when I created what I call my Dream Deck. It’s a simple yet powerful system that I use to write down my dreams, sort them into three different categories, and take intentional steps to make them happen. My Dream Deck helps me move my dreams from SOMEDAY to TODAY—and from I CAN, I WILL, and I MUST to I DID.

Since May of 2022, this process has helped me accomplish so much. I’ve driven and explored the Blue Ridge Parkway. I held an immersive two-day workshop. I hiked the chains and ladders of Grandfather Mountain. I finished my I Am Doodly coloring book. And I donated all the clothes that didn’t fit me anymore.

But I’m not done dreaming, friends. Nope. My Dream Deck reminds me every day that there are always new dreams to have, and those dreams are always evolving.

Right now, I’m working on holding a virtual summit—it’s in my I CAN pile and is happening on January 4, 2025. I WILL interview Doug Lennick, the author of The Three Bucket Theory and WDYWFY (What Do You Want For Yourself?). And I MUST one day author a book.

The beauty of the Dream Deck is that it keeps me focused on where I want to go while celebrating how far I’ve already come. It’s not about doing everything at once. Nope. It’s about taking intentional steps every day.

Let’s be real—turning dreams into reality isn’t always easy. It takes desire, determination, and action. There are days when the bridge between dreaming and doing can feel long and uncertain. But here’s what I know: Our determination is what carries us across that bridge.

This very podcast, Words Matter with Deanna Ley, was in my Dream Deck for over a year. It started as a quiet little dream waiting for me to take action. The desire never left me. And one day, I finally took that first step—I hit record. And now, here we are. This podcast isn’t just a dream anymore. It’s real. Sometimes, the smallest dreams can make the biggest impact.

Let me tell you about another dream I added to my Dream Deck: keeping my car clean. For years, my car was my catchall, filled with so much stuff. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t peaceful either. I’d think, “I should clean this,” but I never did. And then one day, I wrote it down: Keep a clean car. I committed to one small action—every time I leave the car, I take everything with me.

That single step changed everything. It wasn’t just about the car. It was about reclaiming that part of peace in my life. Once that dream became a reality, it inspired me to keep going. And I’ve kept my car clean for months now. I actually want to keep it that way.

Achieving one dream fuels our desire to dream bigger and act with greater intention. And science backs this up. Every time we accomplish something, no matter how small, our brain releases dopamine—that feel-good chemical. Dopamine motivates us to keep going. It creates a positive cycle of action and reward.

For years, I used food and other habits that didn’t serve me to get that same dopamine hit. It was easy and comforting in the moment, but it kept me stuck. When I started asking myself, “Does this serve me?” and “Does this support the life I’m working to build?” everything changed. Now, I look for those dopamine hits in positive actions that align with who I want to be and what I want for myself.

And that’s the key to turning dreams into reality, friends—it’s in the doing.

On December 10, 2024, I hosted a virtual event called DREAM IT. DECLARE IT. DO IT., where I guided attendees through my process of transforming dreams into action. For today, I want to give you a taste of how you can get started.

Take the time to reflect on what you want to do, be, or experience. Ask yourself:

• What inspires me?
• What brings me joy?
• What’s on my bucket list?
• What have I been SHOULDing on myself about?

Write it all down. These aren’t just ideas—they’re the foundation of your Dream Deck.

Then declare your dreams. Speak them out loud. Write them somewhere you’ll see them every day. Put them on index cards like I do. Share them with someone who supports you and believes in you. Declaring your dreams makes them real—it’s your way of saying, THIS MATTERS TO ME.

But even declaring isn’t enough. Action—yep, action—is where transformation happens. Ask yourself, “What’s one small concrete step I can take today to move closer to this dream becoming a reality?”

I coach women through this process called 30 IN 30. It’s simple yet powerful. Choose one action or activity and commit to doing it every day for 30 days. By the end, not only will you have a new habit, but you’ll have built confidence and momentum that carries you forward.

The women I’ve worked with through this process have seen incredible transformations—practicing yoga daily, decluttering homes and craft spaces, starting consistent morning prayer practices, breaking long-held habits, gardening, writing and submitting articles for publication, strengthening routines, and even pursuing lifelong dreams like starting a tree farm.

What’s made their success possible? Small, intentional actions. Those actions build momentum, and that momentum drives transformation.

Friends, if learning more about that process resonates with you, I encourage you to check out the recording of DREAM IT. DECLARE IT. DO IT. You can see the whole event at http://DreamItDeclareItDoIt.com for just $30. It includes the full step-by-step process along with bonus goodies to help you transform your dreams into reality.

Let me leave you with this: Do you believe you deserve to live the life of your dreams? I can tell you that you do. And you can start today.

Dreaming is the first step—it gives you hope and opens your heart to what’s possible. Desire fuels your determination to take steps that move you forward. Declaring your dreams breathes life into them, turning them from ideas into something real. And the doing—those intentional, concrete actions—makes those dreams a reality.

Just as Napoleon Hill said, “Dreams come true when desire transforms into concrete action.”

Friends, the words we see and read, the words we hear, and the words we say to ourselves about ourselves—what we’re doing and how we’re doing it—they all matter.

Your WORDS MATTER because YOU MATTER.

Have a great day.