Visualization Tips

If you are having trouble with visualizations don't worry you're not the only one!
Visualization is the process of making mental pictures and is a powerful technique used to help you focus your attention what you desire. People often come to me expressing concern that they are doing something wrong because they are having trouble seeing what they want.

Not everyone has a widescreen movie theater on the inside of their eyelids. Some people close their eyes and see absolutely nothing! Just blackness or spots, but not a picture.
Whether you know it or not you can visualize. To practice, try visualizing something you already have. It can be anything you want but to start off try something you see or do everyday. If it's something you are already familiar with the easier this will be.

For example: Think of your favourite chair...

What does it look like?
What colour is it?
Is it upholstered in leather or suede or some other fabric?
Has it got a hole in the armrest or is it in perfect condition?
Is it a lovely soft and snuggly kind of chair?
Is it an antique?
Imagine yourself sitting in your chair.
How good do you feel at the end of a hard day when you get to put your feet up and relax in that chair?
Feel the tension ease away as you blob out in your favourite chair.
How do you feel after you have been relaxing there?

Once you master visualizing simple everyday things you can let your imagination run wild! When you visualize try and be as specific as possible but most importantly remember to attach emotion to it.
A great way to think of it is more as feel-ization rather than visualization. It's the emotion attached to what we are focusing on that gives power to our thoughts.

If you think back to when you were a child, the things you are most likely to remember are the experiences that have a strong feeling or emotional attachment. Like the excitement of Christmas morning or the dreaded visit to the dentist!
When you remember an experience that has a strong emotional attachment it's almost as if you are there. This is what you need to feel when visualising. Focus on the outcome you desire not on how you are going to achieve it. Feel as if you already have what you want!

Children are great at visualizing. They get right into the experience. When a child is running around playing Spiderman, He IS Spiderman! When he sings into a hairbrush or plays air guitar, He IS A Rock Star! Children naturally get the essence of Make Believe, it Makes you Believe!

Story Time...
Write a story about what you want or how you you'd like your life to be. Make sure you write it in the present tense.
Write down everything as if you already have it. Go into as much detail as possible and remember to use emotion. Write what you love about your new life as if you are already living it!
Read your story to yourself everyday and feel the excitement and joy in it.
Better still record yourself reading your story and listen to it in the car or on the way to and from work or whenever you feel like it.

Vision Boards...
Another great way to visualize is to create a vision board. Cut out pictures from magazines, newspapers etc or use photos or even drawings of things you really want. Put as many pictures as you like, there are no limits. Just make sure they are things you truly desire. Remember it's the emotion you attach to your visualizations that will bring results.
Paste them onto a large piece of card and hang it on your wall. Make sure you put your vision board someplace you will see it often, every time you see your vision board focus on one of your pictures.

It might be a new car, just imagine how you feel having that car for real! Feel what it's like sitting in that new car. Focus on as many details as you can, e.g. make and model, colour, interior, exterior everything you can think of. Imagine how you feel when you are driving it!
Whatever method you use, the main thing to remember is to use emotion. Make your visualization a fun experience. You want to feel joy and excitement when doing visualizations. The higher your energy levels the better the results. Do whatever it takes to get excited!

If you want a new car...
When you are driving around in your old car "make believe" that it's your new car.
Go to the car dealers and take your dream car for a test drive.
Get a friend to take a photo of you in or next to your dream car.
Hire your dream car for a day.

If you want a new house...
Go and look at houses.
Go to open homes and imagine yourself living there.
Look around for ideas and features that you would like in your own home.
Drive around and see what different areas are like, where do you want your new home to be?

If you want a dream vacation...
Get brochures from travel agents.
Look in travel magazines or on the internet for your ideal retreat.
Write up you own itinerary of all the destinations you would like to see.
If you want to go to Paris put a picture of the Eiffel Tower on your vision board.
Visualizing is just like picking your favourite things out of a catalogue. Once you get started you won't want to stop. Soon you'll find yourself visualizing without prompting, it will become a habit. Habits are formed through repetition. If you practice visualizing everyday the better your results will be.
I hope this helps you to get inspired and start visualizing today!

By Alison Bolger