You already have the most powerful tool available to reach your goals: your mind. Your thoughts, imagination, attitudes, and drive are all there ready to be used to make your goals a reality.

Visualization is such an empowering technique and one we use all the time without realizing it. You visualize when you’re

• planning a vacation
• redecorating your house,
• planning family get-togethers
• working out your grocery list
• deciding what to wear or have for lunch.

All of these activities depend on having a vision or an idea of where you want to be, look, feel, or how you want your life to be.

Make this process conscious and use it as a planning tool or a motivating exercise. You can make your visualization a formal part of your goal-setting process.

How to do it

1. Find a quiet space, where you won’t be interrupted. Make sure you have writing materials and paper or a notebook.
2. Close your eyes and think of your goal. Place it right in the center of your mind.
3. Take three slow deep breaths and relax, holding that image in your mind.
4. Imagine every aspect of achieving your goal. How does that look?? How do you feel? Who is there celebrating with you? What is it like to have worked hard and accomplished what you set out to achieve? Get as many details as possible so that it feels real.
5. Open your eyes and write down as much as you can. Don’t stop to filter or edit, just write.
6. Practice this exercise as often as you can, so your mind becomes familiar with how success feels.

When to use visualization

Visualization can be a great tool to use in potentially stressful situations, to build your confidence, or to re-energize your motivation. You can go back to that strong image of achieving your goal whenever you want and use it to:

• Reinforce your positive mindset and build that mental muscle memory
• Focus on the tasks that will help you reach your goal
• Rehearse presentations or performances, so you’re ready to perform at your best
• Motivate you, if you don’t want to get up and go for a run, or if you feel tempted to eat that burger or that cake.

Part of the power of visualization is that it creates success. Having visualized success, in your mind your goal is already a reality. You already know what reaching your goal looks and feels like, all you need to do now is make it happen.