By: Taffy Hawkins
This is me, Taffy Hawkins, granting you permission to use that beautiful imagination of yours and daydream for a few minutes. This is not merely wasting time. Oh, no! Visualization can actually help you reach all of your goals much faster. So, think of what you really want. If you have no idea where you are going you may already be there. This is setting your mental GPS. Input your desired destination. Visualization is the creation of a mental picture in your mind. This mental imagery training comes from the piecing together of images that originate deep within us. Do not underestimate this as mere daydreaming because visualizations hold power! It can help you hone skills, reconnect to yourself and your spirituality and alleviate pain and anxiety among many other benefits. These images can have a tremendous impact on your mind depending on the regularity of your mental training and the vividness of the image.
Now, it is time to set the GPS. What would that dream look like? Use as much sensory information as possible to solidify the image. This may seem difficult, but let me give you an example. I want you to think about a lemon. How does the peel feel in your hand? What shade of yellow is the lemon? How does it smell? Can you feel the sour taste in your mouth just by thinking of eating this tangy treat? This was an example of visualization. It is time to step it up and apply this fun practice to your own life.
How does your goal life look? Feel? What do you look like in this “dream”? Where are you and who is in your life? How would you like to describe your life at the end of 2017? Use all of the sensory information that you can. Recall moments from your past that will help with solidifying this image. Imagine that ideal life or goal achievement for a few moments. Let these really sink in. Now write this down in detail and use the visualization daily.
Here is an example from my own life: I am studying for my doctorate degree in sport psychology. I am also pursuing several personal goals in health and fitness. When I do my visualizations, I am fit with glowing skin standing on a field with a headset on assisting a professional team. I am wearing a blue athletic jacket and matching pants. My blonde hair is swept into a ponytail. The sun is shining and a slight breeze is blowing whispering of fall. I am smiling knowing that I am happy and fulfilled in my life.
Currently my biggest goals are career and fitness related. It is only natural that these things receive most of my attention during mental imagery training. If I were to close my eyes and visualize this scenario, I feel that I am really there. I can “feel” the breeze and the spring of the grass beneath my feet. The more often I visualize this image, the more that my brain believes it as reality. Soon it shall be my reality!
Back to your biggest goals and dreams. Write it out in detail. Read it or record yourself reading the script and then visualize yourself “there.” Spend some time in your ideal life. It is important to be consistent. Now, having visualized your dream life, it is your responsibility to couple this mental imagery training with real action! Make a game plan and work your way to the life of your dreams in 2017! I am always here to help. This is your daring adventure. Are you ready?