Visualization Is Your Secret Weapon
Picturing progress before it happens encourages healthy habits.
What if you were able to see things happening before they actually happen? What if your perception of the future was so powerful, it could direct your actions right now?
Well, you can and it is.
A common idea is that one day we’ll be able to experience the joy of our success. One day we’ll sit back and rest in satisfaction because it’s what we’ve worked for all along.
The problem with that is this: while you wait for future satisfaction, you moan, groan, and complain today. It puts us in a pit of negativity and self-degradation because the grass isn’t as green as we’d like.
Successful people make it a habit of visualizing what they want to see in their future. From athletes to business minds, they take time to take a mental snapshot of specific outcomes.
The results aren’t always immediate. In fact, most of the time it takes a while. But it doesn’t stop them from working towards their goals.
If we don’t have an idea of what we want, the default perception is we’re already failures. We conclude with the notion that life is a soggy bowl of cereal because we have yet to “arrive” (whatever that means).
Knowing What You Want and Why You Want It
Most people go wrong on this particular topic; I know I have! We jump into things because it’s what someone else is doing. We flock to a popular trade because it might bring us more attention, more friends, more money.
But all too often, that mentality ends up biting us back.
There’s so much fog in following someone else’s dream. For one thing, it leaves you feeling empty because it’s not what you really want. The glitter once shiny from afar will become dirt to you.
That’s what happens when we substitute the specific components of our goals with the life of another, leaving behind a trail of vague desires with vague directions.
We then censor our dreams as a way to cope with the pressure of doing something different.
Family can cause that kind of pressure, of course. Parents may have an idea of what they want their children to do when they grow up. They push them to do that one thing. But the children aren’t allowed to consider their own path this way.
Sure, the parents’ intent is to create the best possible life for their child. They want nothing but the best for them. Yet, without the freedom to think independently, they grow up living their parents’ dream in frustration.
Knowing what you want makes your pursuit clear and directly to the point. The small steps are made with the belief that it’s guiding us where we want to be, maybe even better than we imagined.
Action Promotes Motivation
There are plenty of people waiting for the “right time” to act on their dreams. They sit for years before making their first move because the stars weren’t aligned just so. And it stagnates them.
It puts them in a rut they find hard to get out of.
In this process of obtaining what you want, you have to be willing to take the first step, make the first move. Without doing that, chances are you’ll never move towards your desired destination.
The fact is, we often use the arrival of motivation as an excuse to remain in our comfort zone. We become afraid of taking any kind of risk, so we sit still. Without any progress. Without any growth.
Action is the best way to see improvement in any area of your life.
If you want to write better stories, write.
If you want to play better guitar chords, practice playing them.
If you want to take better photos, take a ton of pictures for fun.
The key is moving in what you believe to be your ultimate source of meaning.
Will it be easy? No
Will it be worth it? Absolutely.
It’s not enough to watch other people doing what you love and call that your motivation. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with being inspired to do something.
But if your intent isn’t clear—and you spend more time consuming than creating—your output (and its quality) will suffer.
Focusing On the Bigger Picture
Being short-sighted isn’t a problem unless you completely ignore the big picture. The main goal should always be in your mind, even though you’re taking it one step at a time.
Here’s the truth: the process sucks sometimes. Whoever said the road of improvement would be easy to travel was lying through their teeth. There are ups and downs all of us have to face.
What makes it worthwhile is progress.
That pushes you farther. It stretches you to step out of your comfort zone while honoring the grind of it all.
No one will say having that sort of mindset is easy. Unless, of course, they insist on lying to your face and feeding their narcissistic attitude.
Visualization allows the impossible to become possible.
How? By orchestrating the unparalleled dance between your goals and your actions.
Whether we choose to accept it or not, we subconsciously assume certain things about our future that are related to our current state. The only way to alter that is to change our habits, our perspectives about ourselves and our situations.
Kevin Horton is a photographer, student, modest book-worm, and wanna-be web developer with a new-found love for writing. He writes helpful words about creativity, productivity, and the enjoyably simple life.
’Til next time, thanks for reading!
