Imagery and visualization: Wishes really can become reality

Imagery and visualization can be very powerful tools in your goal achievement process. You can use visual images of your goals or you can use words, thoughts and feelings. Ideally you can use all of these elements to unleash the most powerful potential of imagery.

Scientific studies show that the more senses you add to your imagery, the more powerful the results will be. The reason these techniques are so powerful is that they tap into both the left and right parts of your brain. For people who have trouble seeing things with their eyes closed, just use all the other senses to imagine what you want to create.

35. Use imagery and visualization: Make a point of spending a few minutes a day visualizing yourself reaching your goals—seeing, hearing, feeling (tasting if appropriate) as clear a visualization as you can! Bring colors, sounds, smells, and tastes to your visualization. Put yourself into the picture so you actually see yourself getting and having what you want. You may find that your pictures have bright vivid colors and lots of detail…this is good. But even more important are the feelings that go with your picture. Try to create a vision that makes you feel motivated, passionate and enthusiastic.

 So what would this process look like? Imagine that your goal is to take a trip to a tropical island. In your mind, you would imagine yourself in the picture lying on the beach feeling the warm sun and smelling the flowers. You could be lounging on a lanai tasting an exotic drink or snorkeling seeing the wonderful fish and feeling the water all around you.

Whatever is the most exciting part of the trip for you, put that in the picture...feel it, touch it, smell it, taste it (if appropriate), hear it, see it. Try to create the most compelling image possible for yourself using all your senses. If you use this technique at least once a day and take consistent action, your success is virtually guaranteed.

36. Make an audiotape proclaiming that you have reached your goal. See technique number 6 for details on how to write an effective goals statement. Add details to your description to make the tape several minutes long. Listen to the audiotape every day in the car, in the house, while you are out exercising or at the gym.

37. Smell me the money: Here’s an unusual but very effective technique for increasing your income and improving your relationship with money. It may sound strange, but we’ve both tried it and found that it works really well. Keep a $100 bill in your purse or wallet and look at it, and then smell it while thinking about how wonderful money is. Then smell it again and visualize lots more of those $100 bills in your hands.

38. To get the things you want quickly, “act as if” you already have them: Take a photograph of yourself in your dream car at a dealership or on a boat similar to the one you want or in front of a house you’d like to own. Photograph yourself “in the picture” and put this up on your wall. You can also actually test drive the car, test sail the boat or go to open houses and act like you are buying the house. “Act as if” you are already a great speaker, artist or businessperson. This technique is surprisingly powerful.

39. Expand your vision; the power of thinking big: Allow for the possibility that there may be greater goals or visions. Mark Victor Hansen author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books met with Tony Robbins, to ask about why he (Mark) wasn’t reaching greater success.

 Tony said; “Do you have a lot of millionaires in your success and networking group?” Mark said; “Yes”, then Tony said; “Do you have any billionaires?” Mark said “No”. Tony said, “If you find one or two it will make the difference.” And that’s what Mark did...this was one of the factors that helped him to reach the pinnacle of success with the “Chicken Soup” series of books. Along with being a good example of thinking big, this is also a good example of an already highly successful person being humble enough to look for models and get additional help.

Continue to Goal Setting Tips 40-43 Intuition and hunches