The most important step: VISUALIZING OUR FUTURE.
In a world filled with distractions and influences, especially from social media, it can be very easy to diverge from our own dreams and reality. One thing that I find crucial to stay focused on what we really want in life is to create a "vision wall." This consists of placing on a wall some images, goals, quotes, or anything that represents what we want in life and inspires us to work toward our dreams.
Looking at a vision wall every morning when you wake up can be extremely powerful. It not only reminds you of the daily steps you need to take to get closer to achieving your goals, but it also sets your mind to what I call the "GO-mode:" the most productive version of yourself. That is because a vision wall makes you see and feel what your best life could be. It constantly pushes you to work harder and harder to achieve what you want and become who you dream to be.
The most important part of having a vision wall is to actually believe in your goals with all of your power and imagine your life as if you've already reached them - a process called visualization.
Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blue print, and begin to build.
Robert Collier
I've had a vision wall since I was in high school, and trust me, it works! At the time, my goal was to move to Los Angeles and get into one of my top choice universities. I therefore printed images that represented that goal and looked at it every single day. I am not kidding. I placed those images on the wall right in front of my bed so I would look at them every morning. I would consistently visualize what my life could be and convince myself I was going to reach my goals. Combined with hard work, I achieved everything I had placed on that wall.
Does visualization really work?
YES!!! That is because of how our brain is wired. Remember, visualization is about feeling and seeing our goals as if we've already reached them. When engaging in this mental practice, the neurons in our brain interpret these images we create in our heads as if they were real. This means that actions and thoughts have the same impacts on the cognitive processes of our brain, such as motor control and perception. By visualizing, we are training our brain for an actual performance and priming it for success. Therefore, the more we think about and visualize what we want, the more we set our brain to believe in and work toward what we want.
To give you a more specific example, visualization has been used in sports for a long time. Athletes, including Tiger Woods and Muhammad Ali, often engage in "mental practices," in which they vividly create images in their heads of them winning a game. The big secret to Muhammad Ali's success, one of the greatest boxers of all time, is visualization. In addition to his trainings, Ali would consistently visualize himself as the champion, the winner of all games, with the crowds cheering and the cameras flashing. He'd put all of his energy and focus on this clear mental image of success to make it become a reality. Ali called this visualization process "Future History."
Visualization can be applied to any goal we set our mind to achieve, and creating a vision wall is a great first step to start this mental practice.
Tips for visualizing our goals
Cut out distractions: take a break from social media or other things that can distract you and start listening to yourself.
Don't set limits: let your imagination and deepest desires come out.
Believe in yourself: remember, if you really want something, you can achieve it. So don't be scared of aiming high.
Have some "me time": super important. Find a time in the day when you can focus and reflect on yourself and your goals.
Add emotions: visualize exactly what you want to feel once you achieve your goals. Happiness? Relief? Power? Control?
Don't get discouraged: Patience and perseverance are key. We can't get everything we want the next day. If you put in hard work and keep pushing, results will come. Keep visualizing.
Start visualizing your future, build a vision wall, and let me know how it goes on Forums!
Cheers,
Comments