Introduction

“If you dream it, you can achieve it.”

William Arthur Ward

The quote above and many others that have been spoken by wise men in the

history of human beings point out the importance of visualizing an event

before it occurs. “Dream” in the context of the above statement doesn’t refer

to the images and visuals you see when sleeping or taking a nap. Rather, this

refers to the goals you plan to achieve in your life.

The topsy-turvy nature of life makes it challenging for some people to have

targets they intend to achieve. Some people would cite the example of the

rumblings and shocking nature of the COVID-19 as a genuine reason you

shouldn’t make plans or set targets in life. Some individuals will say that life

is just like the stock market; nothing is certain.

There isn’t doubt that life can be volatile such that you are never sure of what

happens next. However, if you decide against setting targets and goals you

intend to achieve within some periods, you live your life based on

speculations. It’s not true that whatever will be will be. You can decide what

you want in life and accomplish it.

There are many great examples of people who have achieved tangible success

because they leveraged the power of visualization. You can become one of

such people when you leverage the tips in this book. The journey begins with

what visualization is and ends with how you can succeed with it. Enjoy the

Ride!

What is Visualization?

What Visualization isn’t

One of the best ways to learn about something is to identify what it’s not,

and we will start this journey with this approach. Like most popular

concepts and phenomena, there are many descriptions and beliefs about

visualization that are either blown out of proportion or totally false.

To ensure that you haven’t been a victim of some of the common

overhypes and conjectures surrounding visualization, we will highlight them.

Below are some common myths of visualization.

 Myth #1: Wishing and Hoping Something Happens

Visualization indeed involves creating a mental image of a target you intend to achieve. However, it’s delusional and misleading to assume that visualization is all about wishing and hoping that something happens. This ridiculously simplified view of this concept is the reason many people never achieve anything tangible with visualization. They assume that they are 

practicing and utilizing this phenomenon, but that’s not the case.

Rather, visualization involves using your thoughts to engineer a certain result and what you will need to do to achieve it. In other words, visualization doesn’t end with thinking about what you want to achieve. Instead, it also involves imagination regarding the steps you’ll need to take to accomplish the target. If all you do is imagining yourself achieving a target without thinking about how you will achieve it, you are in the realm of fantasies.

Myth #2: Visualization isn’t Scientific

In the bid to discredit visualization, some people would say that the practice isn’t scientific. However, this claim is far from the truth. Scientists have proven that visualization affects our brains in certain ways that promote the achievement of our goals. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to verify any assertion before you believe it.

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The modern world offers us endless resources on the internet to evaluate the

veracity of any claim. So, you’ll be doing yourself a lot of good by checking

your facts before you agree with any popular opinion. In the subsequent

chapters, we will explore the scientific evidence that validates the

effectiveness of visualization.

Myth #3: Visualization is for Lazy Dreamers

This claim comes from the assumption that visualization is all about sitting

on a couch dreaming about buying up Microsoft. Nonetheless, as mentioned

earlier, this is far from the truth. World-beaters such as Jim Carey, Oprah

Winfrey and Will Smith have openly discussed how they were able to achieve

their dreams by leveraging visualization.

If you know these people, you’ll know that they aren’t lazy people. Rather,

their thought process fueled their desire to move from where they were to

where they are. So, visualization isn’t for lazy people who live in the realm of

fantasy. Instead, it’s for people who are deliberate about what they want in

life and will go all out to accomplish it.

Myth #4: Visualization is Only Effective for Long-Term Targets

What you intend to accomplish doesn’t have to be in fifteen or twenty years

before you can employ visualization. As long as the target you intend to

achieve is in the future, you can leverage this practice. Therefore, even if your

target can be achieved within a week or a month,

visualization remains relevant.

In fact, it’s more likely you achieve success with visualization when working

on a short-term goal than a long-term one. A lot of things happen when you

have long-term targets that can make you distracted. In some cases, you stop

seeing the goal as important as when you first thought about it. So, you might

abandon a long-term target along the line.

Visualization or Meditation?

One of the questions people ask is whether they should choose visualization

over meditation. This question ought not to be perplexing or complicated.

Just like visualization, many studies have established the benefits of

practicing meditation. These two techniques are interwoven, and they share

some similarities. However, they aren’t the same.

Visualization focuses on the mind more, while meditation involves both the

mind and body. Meditation is broader and more complex than visualization

and offers more benefits. So, choosing between the two depends on what you

want. If all you want to do is set your mind right and keep yourself motivated

to achieve your dream, visualization is needed.

However, if you desire to achieve inner peace by shutting down the noise in

your head and drown the voice of your inner critic, you need meditation. The

beautiful thing about this choice is that you don’t have to choose one. You

can practice both meditation and visualization without any issues. In fact, you

can incorporate visualization during your mediation.

 So, while practicing your breathing techniques, you can take advantage of

that period to think about your dreams and how you can achieve them. So,

instead of using a mantra or object as your focal point, you can focus on your

targets and your action plan to achieve them. The inner tranquility that

meditation brings can make your visualization more effective.

Visualization in the Modern World

Elite athletes are known for employing visualization-based techniques such

as guided imagery and scripting in their training. They use these methods to

overcome fear and stimulate practice. They even leverage these techniques

to recover from injuries. Sports and medical experts understand that the fact

that two people are suffering from the same type of injury doesn’t mean that

they will recover simultaneously.

There have been situations where a particular athlete is expected to return to

action in six months. However, to the surprise of the coaches and medical

team, the person will recover in four months! Many people would claim that

the differences in immune systems are the reason for it. Indeed, we cannot

rule that out. Nonetheless, it’s not that simple.

Scientists have discovered that mind-based practices such as meditation and

visualization affect our immune system. Studies have established

a link between these practices and the functioning of the body’s defense

system. These techniques boost the immune system. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that people who leverage visualization recover faster than

people who don’t. 

In a report published by New York Times, Olympic freestyle skier, Emily 

Cook detailed her experience after practicing visualization. According to her, 

she recovered after two years of missing in action due to injuries. In 

her own words,

“I would say into the recorder: ‘I’m standing on the top of the hill. I can feel the wind on the back of my neck. I can hear the crowd….”

According to her, visualization has played a key role in her success and journey as an athlete. She also explained that she takes advantage of this practice to develop a new trick. Note that you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy the benefits of practicing this technique. You can leverage this practice in any 

field to reach the apex of your career.

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