Written by: Liz Loizou-Smith, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We were all born with the innate ability to imagine. Think about when you were a child and how you played pretend, or listened to someone read you a book and could feel as if you were there alongside the main character. What about those times your teachers caught your daydreaming and had to snap you back to reality? These were your beginnings of visualization.
Visualization is a powerful tool for focusing your mind on what you want. When it comes to achieving goals, one of the most common issues is losing focus and becoming sidetracked by life's events.
It activates your subconscious mind
Programs and re-programs your brain
Builds internal motivation
Activates the law of attraction
When you make visualization a daily habit, your brain begins to program to begin expanding your consciousness to resources that are already available to you. Allowing the visualization process to assist you in progressing to the next level.
Visualization can and should be used for everything you intend to go in a specific direction, such as, athletic performance, work situations, relationships etc.
The steps are really simple, you just have to make them a habit, so let’s get started.
Close your eyes and play a scenario in your mind you want to happen. (In this case, let's think about running a 5k) It's important to get as vivid as possible in the details as you can. From the feeling of the air outside and the crown watching to your feet hitting the ground and the hundreds of people running alongside you. There are two ways to do this:
1. Act out as yourself
Close your eyes and clear your mind. Step into the feeling as if you're there in the moment. Feel the motions, see your surroundings, envision the clothing you're wearing, feel yourself stepping one foot at a time.
Remember, this practice can be done with any situation. But to really allow it to manifest, you need to really feel and stand in your power with these visualization practices.
With Visualization, you'll begin to draw in people, resources and situations that you need to achieve your goals.
And before you can believe in a goal, you first need to have an idea of what the goal looks like. When we visualize the desired outcome, we begin to “see” and "feel" the possibility of achieving it.
No matter how big or small, those goals give us purpose and keep us headed in the right direction. It doesn't matter whether you're an athlete, corporate player, entrepreneur or student. Visualization keeps you connected to your goals and increases your chances of achieving them.
Let’s take a look at a few different methods.
METHOD 1: Seeing The Outcome of Your Goal
Create a mental picture of your final destination, that final step of the goal. For example, if your goal is to be a TED speaker, envision yourself being presented to the hundreds of people waiting for you to speak. See yourself walking out to the stage and hear the hundreds of people clapping for you. Hold that mental image as long as possible.
What does it feel like to walk out onto the stage? Who do you see in the crowd? What does the air feel like? When you're finished how do you feel? Imagine the feeling you get when everyone is clapping and you're walking off stage.
This is exactly how you need to visualize your goals, be specific with the feelings of your goal.
METHOD 2: Step by Step Visual
This visualization process involves envisioning each of the steps needed to achieve the final goal. Bring yourself from the creation process to the final destination, write down each goal and see yourself achieving it as you write it. But don't just list the goal, go through the process of how you will accomplish the goal itself and how it makes you feel. A fun practice is to create a vision board, get creative here, you may be surprised with how your goals begin to change and develop as you go through this process.
Remember, getting completely in the moment and feeling the goal will help you conquer those feelings of self-doubt and frustration.
Liz Loizou-Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Liz Loizou-Smith is a leader in Human Performance Coaching. She helps individuals tap into their greatness by guiding them in rebuilding their power from within. She is a certified Holistic Health Practioner, Sports Nutritionist, and Movement Specialist. She is also a practicing Reiki Master and a highly intuitive individual. Her approach involves an integrated solution rooted in holistic health, which combines Eastern and Western modalities of nutrition, movement, and mindfulness practices. Her quantum alignment background allows her to connect with her clients' energetic imbalances intuitively.
She is the founder of Rebel Instinct Coaching, which integrates physical, mental, and spiritual well-being by fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit. Her belief, if one of these areas is out of alignment, then none of them can properly function.
Liz has made it her mission to help others incorporate these practices into their personal and professional lives in a way that is aligned with their goals. She has also developed the Teen Rebel Mastery Program, an interactive, highly engaging mental and physical training program that helps each grasp and apply critical concepts for peak performance in both sports and life.
Her passion for integrative health has inspired her to develop, The Power Plate Method and The Connected Body Method, which, at its core, focuses on nutrition, movement, and mindset.
