Introduction
The power of visualization is not easy to grasp, but once you do, it can supercharge your success in ways you never thought possible.
Although it is not an easy concept to grasp, that hasn’t held the people who use it back from achieving high levels of success.
We can look at people such as:
- Michael Phelps
- Jim Carrey
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
All three of these people use(d) visualization techniques to help them achieve high levels of success. But this power isn’t only limited to certain people.
Anybody can use the power of visualization to help them achieve any goals they set forth for themselves, but it must be used correctly.
Imagine your dream life and all the tiny details that come with it.
- What type of person are you?
- What kind of house do you live in? Where do you live?
- How much money do you make?
- What does your significant other look like?
While it may feel good to imagine this life and all it brings, this is currently just part of your imagination.
We are about to discuss what will take whatever you had imagined and exponentially increase the chances of bringing it to life. With the information below, you will be on your way to turning your dream life into your real life.
What is Visualization?
We all use our imaginations daily, but we don’t always use them to the best of our ability or with the right intentions. Visualization helps us use our imaginations more productively.
In simple terms, visualization is the act of using one’s imagination to mentally depict a scenario in the hopes of bringing that scenario to life, mainly for future success and development.
Example
You start to think about a new car that you have been wanting to get. When you think about this car, you begin to picture the car right in front of you. You begin to picture how the inside looks. You think about how it will look when you are driving it around.
Most people use their imaginations to think of their wildest dreams and aspirations as kids. While some people may still do this, there is a difference between what it was like when we were young and what it is like as we get older.
When we were young, there was a sense of hope that whatever we imagined we could genuinely achieve and make come to life. These thoughts and dreams we imagined were accompanied by optimism and positive emotions, as we believed we could have whatever we wanted.
As you get older, the sense of optimism that was once associated with our thoughts and dreams starts to decrease as we tend to get hindered by:
- Certain life events
- Previous outcomes
- Social influences (friends, family, etc.)
Although certain hindrances will be present for the rest of our lives, it is up to us as individuals to tune out and not associate with whatever is keeping us from living the life we deserve.
Doing this will not only make your life more enjoyable but also help you practice visualization.
How the Five Senses Impact Visualization
The secret of visualization and your ability to supercharge the practice lies in how well you can associate with all the sensory details that come with it.
To properly visualize and increase the chances of bringing the scenario to life, you need to engage all five senses:
- Sight
- Touch
- Taste
- Smell
- Hearing
The more you can get engaged with each of the five senses, the more vivid you can make the visualization. When the visualization and small details are vivid, it is easier for the subconscious mind to associate with it.
The subconscious mind needs to associate with visualization because it can’t distinguish between what is real and what is not. Once you impress an image or scenario upon the subconscious mind, it starts associating with it to make it come to life.
If we refer back to the car visualization example we used earlier in this post, we can engage our senses with the visualization by imagining:
- What the car looks like
- What do the car’s exterior and interior feel like
- What does the car smell like
- What does the car sound like, or what song is playing over the radio
Not everything we imagine or visualize will come to fruition, but using the five senses intentionally for specific visualizations helps to dramatically increase the chances of said visualization being realized.
Benefits of Visualization
Although the concept and practice of visualization can be considered superstitious, certain benefits can’t be ignored, no matter what you believe.
These benefits will vary from person to person depending on the amount of effort put into the practice, but most, if not all, can be guaranteed to some extent with just a little bit of effort and consistency.
Higher Levels of Optimism
When you consistently engage in visualization, you will start to achieve higher levels of optimism as you start to associate with the future desired outcomes that you are visualizing.
Since visualization involves mentally depicting a scenario for future success and development, people naturally become hopeful about the future and what will come of it.
If you are doing the practice correctly, the levels of optimism that you experienced at a young age when it felt like anything was possible are still available to you. However, they more than likely need to be re-learned due to the external factors we are exposed to as we age.
Increase One’s Sense of Direction
Visualization can increase one’s sense of direction, but only if proper steps are taken to achieve the desired outcome.
While visualization is a good tool for picturing and manifesting what you are trying to achieve, the practice alone is not enough to make any significant changes in your life.
As you engage in visualization, you must also visualize and write out the steps that need to be taken to turn it from a thought to reality.
The act of visualization, paired with the actionable steps to move you toward the end goal, will result in a general understanding of what you should be doing at any given moment, thus resulting in a better sense of direction.
Reduce Stress
Visualization can reduce stress by giving one more purpose and understanding in life through working towards future goals.
When we are to remain stagnant in life with no future goals, it will ultimately result in a monotonous life that will lead to unwanted stress and depression for many people.
There is no such thing as standing still; you either move forward or regress.
Bohdi Sanders
Through visualization, you will inevitably develop a better understanding of what you need to be doing on a day-to-day basis, which will result in a better sense of direction and less stress.
Increased Confidence
Individuals who consistently practice visualization and take the necessary steps to achieve their desired outcomes will benefit from increased confidence.
Increased confidence is one of the results associated with taking actionable steps toward achieving an end goal. This confidence comes from an instinctive part of human nature, in which we must work toward achievement for our survival.
However, this can also work against us if we set a goal for ourselves and do not make the effort to achieve it, resulting in lower levels of self-confidence and ability.
Greater Overall Well-Being
Through the consistent practice and execution of visualization, one can experience greater overall well-being. While many factors go into one’s well-being, it is how one feels about oneself and one’s life.
The practice of visualization requires you to look forward to future goals and outcomes. Associating and feeling the emotions of achieving these goals and outcomes can not only increase how we feel in the present moment but also how we feel in the days to come.
When you are consistent in your visualization practices, the positive emotions you experience during each visualization session start to compound and make a significant impact on your life and overall well-being.
How to Visualize for the Best Results
While anybody can close their eyes and think of a desired outcome at any given moment, it is important to understand how to visualize for the best results.
Understanding proper visualization techniques gives you the upper hand in using this practice to the best of your ability.
Instead of mindlessly imagining desired outcomes, follow the steps below to make more efficient use of the practice and your time.
Believe in Yourself
Before you start any visualization practice, you must first believe in yourself and that you deserve the desired outcome.
If you do not wholeheartedly believe that you can achieve or deserve the desired outcome, no amount of visualization will help you reach your goals.
Additionally, not believing in yourself and your vision will result in:
- Lack of effort
- Procrastination
- Failure
To help you believe in yourself and what you are trying to achieve, start by writing out what you are trying to achieve and what you are willing to do to make the end goal a reality.
Additionally, write out anything that may be holding you back from truly believing in yourself and your abilities to succeed in achieving your end goal.
The practice of visualization is most effective when you are able to truly believe in yourself and your capabilities.
Calm Your Mind
You must calm your mind once you are ready to start any visualizing session. When visualizing, you must get as clear as possible, as minor details matter the most.
Suppose your mind is not calm before attempting visualization. In that case, you cannot identify and associate with the small details, thus not making an impression on your subconscious mind.
Example
Think of your thoughts as rocks. If your mind is not calm, like the waves in an ocean, no thought or rock, in this example, will impact the waves crashing through the ocean.
If your mind is calm, like a still lake, even a small rock or thought will leave an impact that spreads throughout the lake.
The best times to practice visualization are before going to bed and right upon waking up in the morning. At these times, the brain and subconscious mind are relaxed and highly receptive to anything that is impressed upon it.
If you are practicing visualization during the day, meditation can be used to calm your mind before engaging in visualization.
Through meditation, you are able to relax your brain and subconscious mind, such as before going to bed or upon waking up, and make them highly receptive to the thoughts you impress upon them.
Visualize
Once you can relax, you are ready to visualize. Keep in mind that there is no specific duration required for each visualization session; however, you do want to aim for 5 – 10 minutes per session.
To start, place yourself in a comfortable environment that is distraction-free and allows you to close your eyes. You must eliminate all distractions; visualization requires being as specific as possible with even the most minor details.
From here, visualize any scenario or goal you will work towards becoming a reality. Some examples are:
- Starting a new business
- Buying a new home
- Performing well on a project or at a sporting event
As you visualize this future scenario, remember to engage your senses to leave a lasting impression on the subconscious mind. Without engaging your senses, the power of your visualization abilities decreases dramatically.
Along with engaging your senses, focus on one to two future goals instead of jumping from one goal to another.
If you spread yourself too thin by thinking of multiple goals per session, you will never be able to fully develop and identify all the small details for each specific goal.
After you have completed your visualization session, write down any additional thoughts or ideas that may have presented themselves during the session.
By doing this, you will be able to add those details to future sessions and have them help guide you through the steps needed to make the visualization come to life.
Take Actionable Steps
After you have created and visualized your future goal, another crucial aspect of the practice is taking actionable steps.
After connecting with the visualization, you must take actionable steps toward achieving that visualization.
It can help to ask yourself:
- What actions must I take if I want to achieve this goal?
- What habits am I currently engaging in that might hold me back from achieving this goal?
- How long might it take to achieve this goal?
By asking yourself these questions and being realistic about what is expected from you to achieve this goal, you develop a roadmap and plan of action.
Once you have developed your plan of action for achieving the visualization, you can simply show up and execute it.
If you struggle with execution, it always helps to think of somebody who is currently in the position you are working towards and imagine what they would do.
As long as you have the right plan of action and can execute it, visualization practice and the process of making your visualizations come to life will be much easier.
Conclusion
Visualization and its practice can be time-consuming but well worth it. While it is not discussed often, many use visualization to reach personal goals and achieve higher levels of success.
When you practice visualization, you must remember to identify and associate with all of the small details and execute your action plan toward the end goal you are visualizing.
While some people visualize and then wait for the results to come to them without execution, this never works.
However, you now have all the tips and tools you need to use visualization to the best of your ability without falling into the common pitfalls many others experience when trying to practice visualization.
