If you ever had a bad start at anything, it may have killed your confidence. But don’t let it. You can use visualization to get your gusto back in high gear. But visualization can do so much more—like help you give back to others. What greater purpose than giving exists?
Author Katie Stone writes, “Visualizing your success may seem a little silly. It’s like daydreaming, not real. However, it has been proven again and again how imagining yourself succeeding actually helps you get there” (26%). So, train yourself in the art of success visualization. Once you flourish, your success will surely benefit others. For instance, my loved one takes me out for a restaurant meal twice a month, as he knows times are tight. When we build resources, we are better able to help others.
But why does visualization work? “If you fully believe you are going to be successful, your brain will do everything to ‘fix’ your current situation, since you are supposed to be successful” (26%). That means students who’ve performed badly in the past can “reset” through visualization. And the more details you visualize, such as you mastering your homework, the more you’ll likely score higher grades.
Drum up a list of exciting dreams you wish for your future. And, for maximum joy, tie it all into helping others. I visualise how I’d cook healthy crockpot stews for a loved one, treat my dad to holiday meals, and lavish gifts on my family. I’d travel to the hot springs on Valentine’s Day. I’d take courses to gain designations to make my education more marketable. “Make these ‘daydreams’ as vivid as possible. Imagine as many details as you can think of. This alone will probably get you super hyped for your future, providing you with enough motivation to be incredibly productive today…. But if you imagine your future so vividly, you ‘trick’ your brain into doing everything it can to make this life a reality and base all decisions on getting there” (27%).
Here’s a simple way to visualize your future success: “Add a vision board, where you put photos up on a cardboard or something similar (or simply a Word document on your computer)” (34%). I found photos of organic groceries, a chef with a crockpot, a businesswoman, a gift basket of fruit, and Jesus arm wrestling the devil. I then uploaded the images to a video editing app. Thus, I now have a visualization movie to help inspire me. I strongly recommend you make a success flick, too. It’ll keep you hungry for your goal.
But how do you narrow down your visualizations? “Simply think about three to five points that define your future life and find images that represent them. That could be something like ‘Freedom, happiness, traveling’, represented by pictures of a yacht on the ocean, a picture of Tokyo, a picture of a nice, empty beach, a campfire with friends…” (36%). My four themes include “spirituality, relationships, business success, and health.” What three to five elements of life hold the most value for you? Write them down and scour images that best express your happiest vision.
Add to your movie until you can taste the success on screen. “It will take a bit of time until you start feeling the difference, but once your brain starts to think differently, the results are undeniable” (36%).
So, if you’ve been struggling at anything in life, instead visualize success. With a vision board, you’ll prime your brain to grow and to share your wealth with others.
References
Stone, Katie. (n.d.). Morning Rituals: Increase Your Productivity, Success, and Happiness with Just 30 Minutes Per Morning. E-book.
