Creative Visualisation: Move in the direction of your dreams – by Rhona Reid

Can we really make things happen just by imagining it?

As dynamic strategies go, isn’t that akin to throwing a coin in a well and wishing? Not really.

Creative visualisation is the act of imagining an achievement or outcome that is important to you – is regularly cited as being a life-changing tool for success. Today we will tell you how to do creative visualisation and share our favourite creative visualisation techniques. 

The power of visualisation

Whether it’s achieving your ideal weight, getting a dream job or quitting drinking; positive visualisation is a powerful technique that might be the difference between succeeding at your goals, or not.

Like most things that are worth doing, it takes a bit of effort. As in, you can’t simply picture yourself winning an Oscar and then sit back and wait for Hollywood to call. For visualisation to deliver, you have to work at it a little.

Creative visualisation techniques:

You may be wondering “how can I improve my visualisation techniques?” Here are our 7 steps to master the technique of creative visualisation:

•     ‘See’ the moment in the future where you have achieved your goal
•     Look around the scene that you imagine in close detail
•     Engage your senses: what can you touch, smell, hear?
•     Who else is in the picture?
•     Unpick your emotions – how are you feeling?
•     What time of day is it? What is your environment?
•     Imagine your physical state – are you standing or sitting?

Don’t rush any of this. Relax and take your time over the exercise. Our brains get assailed on all sides with information throughout the day, a great deal of it unimportant. By focusing on this image and actually visualising your success, you will learn to dial down the white noise of everyday life and see your goal much more clearly.

Move in the direction of your goal

The idea is that practising this kind of visualisation on a daily basis creates a reflexive reaction: you start to move in that direction because you’re sending a clear message to your brain and body. How this works is open to several theories. Among them, that we simply respond to the command, that the fading out of unnecessary distractions helps our focus; or that your mental ‘to do’ board is tuned in to seize opportunities that help towards your goal.

Life is busy. We often dash through it to the next appointment, deadline or duty. Our deeper priorities can get lost in our pursuit of the everyday stuff that keeps things ticking over and pays the bills. Visualisation helps to keep those priorities live and active in your mind.

Woo-free zone

None of this is in the least bit ‘woo,’ by the way. For years, sports coaches have engaged the services of psychologists to help top athletes practise goal-orienteered visualisation. Studies have even shown that repeated efforts to imagine flexing a muscle can help to increase physical strength. 

Neural pathways are complex things. In terms of brain activity, the relationship between imagining an action and executing it is a close one. 

Alongside the physical training, encouraging athletes to imagine the effort needed for success on the track or field makes it feel destined and eminently achievable. It’s the same message that we can give ourselves: believe it, visualise it and you can help to make it happen.

The importance of a destination

Another way of understanding how visualisation works is to think about how we would instinctively respond to a point on the horizon that we’re trying to reach. If you don’t have a specific place that you’re aiming for, your path could meander and take forever. If you fix your sights on a defined spot, an actual destination, then you’re far more likely to travel in an unwavering, straight line towards it.

If giving up alcohol is your goal, then OYNB is here to help you to do it. Employing some focused creative visualisation could really help you on your OYNB journey. It’s a positive activity that you can use to help you quit drinking, as well as setting and achieving other goals.

Enjoy the Journey 

Visualisation is a fascinating fusion of the abstract, our perception and cognisance, and our physical selves. If you’ve never tried it before, give it a go. Be patient, enjoy the journey and who knows how much you can achieve?