By Peter McLaughlin

Does visualization really work?   Well, the science seems to suggest it is … if it’s done in the correct way.

On waking up each morning, Barry Triller, Executive Vice President of Mutual Life of Canada, goes through a simple visualization.  “I literally picture something that will be interesting – something in the day that is going to be challenging and exciting,” Triller says.  The image motivates him to attack the day in a fun, optimistic frame of mind, even if his schedule promises to be hectic.  “No matter what else is going on,” Triller says, “I know I’ve got something to look forward to, something exciting to do.”

Whether you are making progress toward a clearly established sales goal, or stuck in a rut of fatigue or frustration, visualizing a desired future state or event – a successful sales presentation or negotiating – is another exceptional was to inspire optimistic thinking.  Additionally, visualizing the future reminds you of what you are working for and why you are doing it.  It affords you a renewed sense of optimism and inspiration, and allows you to keep your current challenges in perspective.

The practice of visualization has many valuable applications.  Many professional athletes have made it a staple in their training programs, dedicating as much as two hours a day to envisioning themselves in action – executing the perfect drive, hitting the ball out of the park, receiving the gold metal.  The power of visualization stems from the fact that the brain thinks, most fundamentally, in pictures.  And the pictures that you bring to mind, either consciously or unconsciously, affect your physiology and your thinking.

One good practice involves visualizing the person you eventually want to become, with as many vivid details as possible.  Where will you be? What will you be doing?  Who will be with you?  What will you be wearing?  How will you be conducting yourself?

Another great use for short-term motivation is to picture the triumphant realization of a short-term goal.  Again, with as many details as possible, see yourself successfully accomplishing the project or landing the contract.  Visualizing a desired state gives you an enhanced sense of confidence and a greater motivation to achieve it.

January 1st is the day for your new beginning…if you prepare for it. Bill Bryson, in his best seller “A Short History of Nearly Everything,” said that we have about 657,000 hours of lifespan.  Where are you on that spectrum?

How about making the most of what you have left in 2010.  Start this year, by preparing to win.

Cheers to your “new beginnings!”

I cannot remember a time when we needed a new beginning any more than we do today.  And, our opportunity is coming soon.  In less than two weeks, January 1st will occur…New Years Day, the changing of a very tough 2010 into an equally challenging 2011.

But this time, we can be ready. We can be more resilient, have a better attitude and be more mentally tough. And, we have time to get ready … to “prepare to win.”  Consider these last two weeks of December as your pre-season…a goal-setting and warm-up time for 2011, and make it your “Best Year Yet.”

JANUS, THE MYTHICAL GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGS

In Roman mythology, Janus was one of the “numina,” a group of gods that reflected the Roman idea of a divine aspect in nature. Saturn, the chief god in the “Golden Age of Rome,” conferred on Janus the gift of being able to see both the past and the future which made Janus “the god of new beginnings” and patron of people in transition.  Historically, about 700 BC, January, named in honor of Janus, was added to the Roman calendar as the first month of the year.  He exemplifies the human need to occasionally stop and look at the past in a “face the truth” kind of way as a prelude to celebrate a more fruitful and optimistic future.

I own a Janus coin that’s over 2200 years old. On the coin is the stamped image you see above, showing a face looking both to the past and to the future.  It cheers me up after any rejection or defeat (of which I’ve had many) and it helps me focus not on the negative emotions of that recent loss, but on the positive emotions of the future…the new beginnings. (When you travel to Rome, even to this day, you see above some of the antique gates visages of Janus as a way of welcoming weary travelers to their new life, the transition from country to city.)

For most of us, New Years Eve and New Years Day go by without much impetus or preparation to really change.  We mindlessly go through the “Resolution Ritual” with the typical ‘make more money, lose weight, start exercising etc’. I’m certainly not opposed to that.  Most of my research on peak performance and mental toughness is built around physical and mental energy. But, how about taking a new tack this year and instead of focusing only on the exteriors of money, body and other “Stuff”….. work on increasing your sense of GRATITUDE, OPTIMISM and CREATIVITY.  Make next year remarkable not simply for the pounds you lose or the money you make but for the change of attitude you engender.   2011 is the year we can become “unstuck,” make some changes and go into the new year, mindfully, as if we really mean to succeed.

RESOLUTION #1: SHOW GRATITUDE

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, it is the parent of all others.”

-Cicero

The more you are grateful, the more you see to be grateful for. Gratitude builds on itself. Gratitude is the acknowledgement of goodness in your life but at the same time recognizes that you depended on someone outside yourself to help you through. None of us in sales does it alone. To be grateful therefore requires some humility.

n his classic book on the practice of gratitude; “THANKS,” by Robert Emmons, Ph.D., he says that “To feel grateful and not communicate your feelings is like wrapping a gift and not giving it. It is the ACTION of giving thanks that matters most.”  If you resolve to consciously practice gratitude, it becomes a habit. Practice it even if you don’t feel it. Create a culture of gratitude in your family, with your friends and at your work. The practice will lead you to our second resolve of Optimism.

RESOLUTION #2:  LEARN OPTIMISM

“You learn optimism by telling yourself a good story … after a defeat.”

-Martin Seligman, Ph.D.,
author of Learned Optimism

Optimism comes from the Latin “optimo” meaning “best.” To see the best of something starts with reality, but looking at reality in the best possible light. If you can do that consistently, you’re an optimist. If you’re not as optimistic as you’d like to be, take up the practice of catching yourself in the midst of negative explanations about defeats and turn them around with the best story possible about the defeat. Seligman calls it “explanatory style,” the habitual way you explain things. In his research with MetLife, he showed that the optimistic sales people out-performed the regulars by a whopping 27%. It literally doesn’t pay to be pessimistic…and it is no fun for the people around you.

Plus, much research has shown that you won’t live as long if you’re a pessimist (which is alright because if you’re not having any fun, you might as well check out). Other research from Barbara Frederickson, Ph.D., shows that positive emotions like optimism and gratitude “broaden and build” your perspective on reality and leads to more creativity in how you lead your life and attack your challenges.

RESOLUTION #3:  PRACTICE CREATIVITY

“Creativity is the most meaningful, self-fulfilling and rewarding of all personal expression.”
-Carl Rogers, Ph.D.

A couple of suggestions from my own booklet on creativity:

Costume for creativity. Wear a Hawaiian shirt…you can’t be angry while wearing an Hawaiian shirt. Have a weekly creativity meeting with co-workers or family…do it with wine/beer (liquor opens up the right brain.)

Think backwards, go from the end to the beginning, effects always precede causes…not the other way around.

Breakdowns always lead to breakthroughs … if you maintain positivity. So think of all the day’s breakdowns and reverse them. Think of your 5 best clients, friends, family members, and get creative about the most outlandish or surprising way to convey your gratitude. Every week in your home or business, have “Gratitude Fridays” to nourish the habit.

One of the curious pieces of information that came out of Positive Psychological research was that the more creative your acts of gratitude are, the better the feelings of the recipients and the positive emotions in yourself. While an email is nice, a card or small gift well thought out is significantly better. Humor always helps with creativity, it sets the stage and opens the door to allow your creativity to come out.

A couple of suggestions from my own booklet on creativity:

Costume for creativity. Wear a Hawaiian shirt…you can’t be angry while wearing an Hawaiian shirt. Have a weekly creativity meeting with co-workers or family…do it with wine/beer (liquor opens up the right brain.)

Think backwards, go from the end to the beginning, effects always precede causes…not the other way around.

Breakdowns always lead to breakthroughs … if you maintain positivity. So think of all the day’s breakdowns and reverse them. Think of your 5 best clients, friends, family members, and get creative about the most outlandish or surprising way to convey your gratitude. Every week in your home or business, have “Gratitude Fridays” to nourish the habit.

January 1st is the day for your new beginning…if you prepare for it. Bill Bryson, in his best seller “A Short History of Nearly Everything,” said that we have about 657,000 hours of lifespan.  Where are you on that spectrum?

How about making the most of what you have left in 2010.  Start this year, by preparing to win.

Cheers to your “new beginnings!”