(for part one see below)
Visualization = Imagination + emotion
Visualization is not, as someone once suggested to me, a hocus pocus activity that only ‘woo woo’ people engage in. It is simply a form of mental rehearsal that anyone can do to help them achieve a particular outcome. That outcome could be the result of a small task or an ultimate goal.
For golfer Jack Niclaus the outcome was the perfect shot. He says:
“ I never hit a shot not even in practice without having a very sharp, in focus, picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes and I see the ball going there: It’s path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there is a sort of fade out and the next scene showing me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.”
Successful sportsmen/women have been using this method for years. You can use it too.
So first of all you need to know what you want. Use visualization as part of your goal setting system. See What Strikes me in the Beautiful Game) or Goal Setting, Chapter three of Stitch your own Silver Linings.
Be clear and determined.
An exercise for those of you who think you can’t visualize.
Close your eyes and think about this:
You arrive home from work tired after a long hard day. You open your front door and step inside. What do you see? What does the entrance to your home look like? What colour is your hallway or the room you walk in to – is the floor carpeted or tiled? What colour are the walls? What pictures hang on the walls or whose photographs are there? How do feel? Relieved and relaxed? Glad to be home?
Whatever you just saw and felt was a visualization. You may not have seen such images as described so clearly by Jack Niklaus but you don’t have to. Clarity comes with practice.
So, think about a big goal you have right now or an outcome you want to achieve. I have found the following process to be the best for me:
Get into a deeply relaxed state. I like to do 30mins of yoga to relax and unwind first. Or a good time could be first thing in the morning when you are in that lovely semi-conscious state before being fully awake. Alternatively, just before falling off to sleep. During the day, you could find a quiet room where you can sit comfortably alone for a while. Close your eyes. Take some long slow deep breaths and relax more deeply with each breath. Now think about what it is going to be like when you have achieved your goal – imagine yourself having achieved whatever it is you most want.
current weight
Desired weight
If, for example that happens to be weight loss – see yourself in full glorious colour at your desired weight. What do you look like? How are you acting? Most importantly how do you feel?
Allow yourself to feel the emotions of excitement, pride, joy, success! Use as many of your senses as possible to bring your visualization to life. See yourself and feeeel yourself having achieved all that you want. ‘Daydreaming in detail’ with purpose and emotion. Enjoy
In addition, it helps to use affirmations or positive auto suggestions. These are positive goal oriented suggestions that you say to yourself. Be sure to word them in the present tense. E.g. Look at me. I am now 10lbs lighter and I look fantastic. Repeating thoughts like this will fix your images and keep out any negative thoughts that might try to creep in. Don’t worry if they do. it’s okay. Notice them and let them go. Repeat the chosen affirmation relevant to your vision.
It is up to you how long you do this. Sometimes a few minutes is enough but you must do it regularly. Research shows that it takes 21 days to re-train the mind. After that it will become a regular part of your routine, like brushing your teeth.
TAKE ACTION
Visualization supports the actions you are taking to reach your goal
Visualization is not magic. You need to continue working and taking the necessary actions to achieve your goal. However, what you will notice is that all of a sudden the right things start to happen to help you. Opportunities open up that you would never have considered before. You become more certain about what to do and your path becomes easier. This does feel like magic.
How it works
Thanks to neuroscience we are now much clearer about how this works. The brain has something called the reticular activating system that works to let in the relevant information to our current intentions. That’s why if you decide you want a white car, all of a sudden you see white cars everywhere. Or, ladies you may have noticed when you were pregnant – all of a sudden everybody seemed to be pregnant!
Visualizing gives your goal dynamism and it fixes your intention into your subconscious mind. This trains your brain to focus on what you need to make it happen.
Visualization + Affirmations + Action = Realization
Conroy Concepts 