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.