You Already Have Everything You Need to Level Up — Now Give Yourself Permission to Use It

Earlier this week at LEVEL UP 2025, held at the oceanfront Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, more than 800 Sotheby’s International Realty advisors gathered to elevate their craft and reimagine what’s possible in today’s market. Among the many powerful sessions, one in particular stood out. New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff, known for his sharp insight and humor on mindset and motivation, delivered a talk that transformed the energy in the room within moments. He didn’t focus on sales strategies or marketing tactics. He spoke about something much deeper: the way we think.

Jon shared research he conducted with Dr. Mike Peasley that revealed something remarkable. Ninety-six percent of people believe they are not living up to their full potential. Half of those feel that half of who they are is still untapped. It is as if we have each left half our gifts unopened, like walking away from our own birthday celebration before realizing the best presents were still waiting to be unwrapped.

According to Jon, it is not a lack of opportunity or motivation that holds us back. It is mindset. Almost every challenge we face, from procrastination to imposter syndrome, stems from how we think. His message centered on one simple word that most of us stopped thinking about long ago: permission.

We spend too much time waiting for someone else to tell us it is time to grow, to take the next step, or to reach higher.

“When we were kids, the word permission meant something powerful,” Jon said. “A permission slip felt like a passport, a golden ticket that let you go on field trips, play sports, or get past the strict attendance teacher. It was the most important piece of paper in our lives. As adults, no one is going to hand us that permission slip anymore. We have to give it to ourselves.”

Permission to Dream

Jon reminded us that every transformation begins with a dream. “No one ever changes just because,” he said. “We only change when there is something worth changing for.”

Dreaming is not fluff; it is focus. It reconnects us with purpose, the reason we started in real estate in the first place. Helping people find home. Solving problems others cannot. That spark fuels perseverance, especially when the market tests us.

Permission to Plan

Most people stop at the dream. They get caught up in inspiration but never translate it into a plan. Jon noted that eighty-two percent of Americans say they want to write a book, yet fewer than one percent ever do. The difference is not talent. It is structure.

Planning turns ideas into motion. It does not require perfection, only clarity. A plan is the bridge between where you are and where you want to be. Even if planning does not come naturally, it is a muscle that grows with practice.

Permission to Do

This one landed hard. We all know what it feels like to wait for the perfect time, to gather one more piece of information, or to tweak one more detail before we start. Jon reframed procrastination as persuasion: we talk ourselves into waiting.

In real estate, hesitation can be costly. Every call, every showing, every follow-up email creates momentum. You do not need to be perfect to start. You need to start to build confidence.

Permission to Review

High performers love action, but reflection is equally important. Reviewing requires courage because it forces us to ask the hard questions. Is this working? What needs to change?

Jon told a story about the Orlando Magic basketball team. After years of losing seasons, they stepped back and reinvented their sales approach, partnering with hotels and travel agencies to reach tourists. The shift changed their business.

In real estate, review drives reinvention. Markets move quickly, and so must we. Taking time to pause, assess, and adjust keeps us positioned for performance.

Four Common Mindsets

Jon described four patterns that keep people stuck.

• Dreamers have endless ideas but rarely act.

• Perfectionists plan endlessly but never launch.

• Hustlers stay busy but never review.

• Analysts overthink and replay old mistakes.

Each of us slips into one of these at times. Awareness is what allows us to move again.

Positivity Takes Practice

One of the most unexpected takeaways came when Jon admitted he is not naturally positive. He practices it. “Positivity has a better ROI than negativity,” he said.

Negativity arrives uninvited. Optimism takes intention. In our business, where we manage both our emotions and our clients’ emotions, mindset is not optional. It is a performance skill.

At Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty, this idea of giving ourselves permission is not just personal. It is cultural. Our marketing and technology team shows up every day with one goal: to help our advisors tell their stories, build trust, and create visibility that drives results.

We do not wait for perfect conditions or outside validation. We test, learn, adjust, and move forward because progress beats perfection every time. That mindset, the same one Jon described, fuels innovation across our offices and keeps our advisors positioned for performance in every market.

Giving yourself permission to dream, plan, do, and review is not just personal development. It is a framework for performance. It is how momentum builds. It is how creativity unlocks. It is how trust grows.

Jon’s reminder was simple but profound. Our best ideas need space, not pressure. Progress comes from consistent motion, not perfection.

Do Not Wait

Jon closed with a line that has stayed with me. “You are the cavalry you have been waiting for. No one has as much invested in your success as you do. Do not wait.”

Do not wait to dream again.

Do not wait to plan the next step.

Do not wait to take action or reflect.

Success does not come from permission granted by others. It begins when you give it to yourself.

Everything you need to level up is already within you. The only thing missing is your own permission slip.

About Jon Acuff

Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, and one of today’s most respected voices on mindset and motivation. His books include Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done, Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking, and Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, Never Get Stuck and All It Takes is a Goal. His work blends humor, research, and practical insight to help people close the gap between intention and action. Learn more at jonacuff.com.

Note: I used AI assistance to create images and enhance clarity and flow while ensuring all reflections are entirely my own based upon my in- person experience at this event.