Visualize Your Way to Success

-By Jaime Willis

"Seeing is believing."

Happy Monday! Matt and I just got back from an amazing three days connecting with our peers in the coaching business. Not only did we have a wonderful time just being with so many energetic and positive people, we also had the opportunity to learn a lot about how to serve our clients better as coaches -- powerful stuff!

Today, I wanted to share something that one of my coaching peers, Michele Brant, shared with us that really hit home. When you are trying to achieve a goal, you need to have a clear vision of what success looks like with that goal and you have to focus on that visual DAILY.

In Michele's presentation, she handed each of us a 3 x 5 card and asked us to write one thing on the card that we needed to be reminded of each and every day. Then we should put the card somewhere we can see every day as a reminder that we are focused on that goal.

Lots of folks talk about the power of affirmations, from cartoonist Scott Adams to author Jack Canfield. The real power of these statements is that we are able to take our goal from a hope and desire to execution just through connecting our dream to our subconscious.

"When we visualize goals as complete, it creates a conflict in our subconscious mind between what we are visualizing and what we currently have. Our minds are hard-wired to resolve such conflicts by working to create a current reality that matches the one we have envisioned.

Visualization activates the creative powers of the subconscious mind, motivating it to work harder at creating solutions. You’ll also notice new levels of motivation and find yourself doing things that normally you would avoid, but that will take you closer to success.

The third way visualization boosts success is by programming the Reticular Activating System (RAS), which serves as a mental filter for the 8 million bits of information that are streaming into our brains at any one time." - Jack Canfield

The great thing about creating a visualization is that it gives your brain this amazing movie to review each day of what your success looks like. You can use your 3 x 5 card statement to TRIGGER your deep vision of your success.

So let's say that my goal is to lose weight. I might make the following affirmation on my 3 x 5 card:

Remember, your affirmation should be quite specific AND written in the present tense -- you are trying to create that conflict in your subconscious mind that helps you achieve your goal.

Having this 3 x 5 card hanging on my bathroom mirror is a great way to remind myself of my goal each day. But I can allow that reminder an even deeper root into my brain when I allow myself to fully experience that "reality" with all of my senses.

"For greatest effect, read your goals or affirmations out loud. After each one, close your eyes and create the visual image of the completed goal in your mind.

To multiply the effects, add sound, smells, and tastes. Most importantly, add the emotions and bodily sensations you would be feeling if you had already achieved your goal. Research has revealed that images or scenes that are accompanied by intense emotion will stay locked in our memory forever. The more passion, excitement and energy we muster during visualization, the more powerful the results will be.

Once you have visualized each goal as complete, it’s time to release. Let go of your goals, and spend the rest of your day being in the present moment." - Jack Canfield

When I visualize myself at my goal weight, I imagine that I am on vacation in the summer on the beach. I'm wearing a two-piece swimsuit and completely comfortable with my body. I can hear the ocean waves lapping up onto the beach, I can feel the sand beneath my toes, and I can smell the coconut tanning lotion I've put on. I feel the coolness of the bottle of water by my side. I feel rested, relaxed, and content.

What can you visualize today?