Visualization

By R. McDonnell & A. Ghorbani

Visualization is a powerful tool in making steps toward personal change.  Creative visualization (sports visualization) refers to the practice of seeking to affect the outer world by changing one's thoughts and expectations.^[1] Creative visualization is the basic technique underlying positive thinking^[2] and is frequently used by athletes to enhance their performance.^[3][4] The concept originally arose in the US with the nineteenth century New Thought movement. One of the first Americans to practice the technique of creative visualization was Wallace Wattles (1860–1911), who wrote The Science of Getting Rich.^[5] In this book, Wattles advocates creative visualization as the main technique for realizing one's goals; a practice that stems from the Hindu Monistic theory of the Universe that is subscribed to by the book.[6]

To get started, follow these guidelines to help you in the process:

1.     Make a plan and write it down. Set specific goals that are achievable in the next 3, 6 or 9 months.

2.     Take action everyday. If your goal is to exercise, take action every day – even if it is limited.  Taking a step toward the goal you visualized is key to success.

3.     Keep dreaming. Stay passionate and excited about your goal by staying connected to your vision. Visualize success every day.

4.     Set specific goals and deadlines. Make a plan and break it down into realistic steps. “I want to eat better” is harder to visualize and achieve than “I will eat a healthy, high protein breakfast every morning.”

5.     Track your success. Journal, photograph and keep track of each success (nothing is too small). Review and celebrate your progress.

6.     Correct failures and setbacks, but keep going! Setbacks, mistakes and failures happen to everyone. Don’t stop your progress. Identify what triggered or contributed to the problem and plan a new strategy for next time.

7.     Notice your new patterns. Reflect often on your progress and changes in behavior and explore the changes you’ve made along your journey.

8.     Be content. Wellness is not competitive; enjoy the pace you can realistically achieve. Don’t get caught up comparing yourself to others.

References

¹        Mary B. Ballou, Psychological Interventions: A Guide to Strategies, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995, ISBN 0-275-94851-X.

²       Carl L. Wesckcke, Keith Randolph, The Truth about Creative Visualization, 1984, ISBN 0-87542-353-1.

³               Andrew Caruso, Sports Psychology Basics: For Serious Players and Coaches, Reedswain Inc., 2005, ISBN 1-59164-083-0.

⁴               Tony Morris, Michael Spittle, Anthony P. Watt, Imagery in Sport: The Mental Approach to Sport, published by Human Kinetics, 2005, ISBN 0-7360-3752-7.

⁵        James R. Lewis, Jesper Aagaard Petersen, Controversial New Religions, 2004, p. 326, ISBN 0-19-515682-X.

⁶        Wattles, Wallace D., Preface-Paragraph 3, The Science of Getting Rich