To visualise is to imagine or paint a picture of something in your mind. When you close your eyes and imagine yourself crossing the finish line of a race, this is an example of visualisation.
Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve – Napoleon Hill
Visualisation is one of the most powerful mind exercises you can do. Whether you believe in it or think it is rubbish, there is scientific evidence to support the power of visualisation.
Olympic athletes have been visualising for years to improve their performance. Studies have been performed on individuals which evidences that the brain pattern activated when a person is physically completing an activity e.g. weight lifting is similar to when the person is visualising the step by step process they would follow.
To support this, an Australian psychologist conducted a month long experiment into the power of visualisation. He took a group of basketball players, divided them in three groups and tested each player’s ability to make free throws. The three groups were split as follows:
- The first group practiced free throws for 20 minutes every day;
- The second group were instructed to visualize themselves making free throws, no practice was allowed; and
- The third group were not allowed to practice or visualize at all.
At the end of 30 days, the results were measured. The first group improved by 24% and the second group improved by 23% without even touching a basketball. This significant improvement supports the theory of the power of visualisation. This experiment was not suggesting that all basketball players become lazy and stop practicing, but focused on the results that could be achieved if they combined practice with visualisation.
The brain cannot identify the difference between the reality of something actually happening and imagining that same thing happening. Research shows that any time you are thinking you are conditioning the pathways in your brain. Consequently, whether you are reminiscing about the past, thinking about the present or anticipating the future you are strengthening the neural networks associated with whatever you are thinking about.
If you think you can do it, or you think you can’t do it, you are right – Henry Ford
How To Visualise
Set aside 20 minutes every day to visualise your future goals. Do this every day for seven days. Think about what you want to experience in each area of your life. Imagine your ideal body, relationship, career. Where you want to live, your finances. Be specific, picture as much as you can. Think about what you want until you are genuinely excited. Within a short period of time new and exciting ideas will pop into your head. The next step is to focus on the actions you need to take in order to make your vision a reality.
Process to Follow
- Think about what you want;
- Feel excited and motivated;
- Take massive action; and
- You will start to see results!
What Should You Do Next
Caroline Wellingham is an accredited career and life coach and a certified NLP Practitioner. She loves encouraging, motivating and inspiring clients to achieve their career goals and ambitions. If you want to become passionate about your career and you think you could benefit from a career change coach then book in for a free 45 minute consultation: https://calendly.com/raisethebarlife/45-minute-coaching-session
If you would like to purchase a guide on Becoming Passionate About Your Career & Personal Development, click here >>>
If you would like to attend my free Masterclass on the 5 Steps You Need to take to Find Your Dream Career, sign up to attend here >>>. It lasts about 40 minutes and will cover the following:
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The 5 powerful steps you need to take in order to find your dream job this year.
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Get really clear about your 2018 career goals and move away from feeling stuck in a career rut.
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The key steps and actions you need to take to move from where you are right now to where you want to be in your future career.
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Start to feel super excited and motivated to make a change in your career in 2018 and making it happen!