Visualization is the creation of a mental image of a goal. You have an idea of what you want to achieve and how you will do it. Many people perceive visualization as a hope for a good future.: “Create yourself a wish board and look at it more often.” Such a strategy lacks one important detail – the connection with reality. If you imagine living in a luxury house, but don’t think about how to make money on it, the dream will remain a dream. Effective visualization includes both the object of desire and actions to achieve it. You will have to imagine each step on the way to the goal: in which direction you will work, what obstacles you will have to overcome and how you will do it. It’s not as pleasant as simple dreams, but it helps to achieve real results in many areas. What is visualization used for? Many successful people, such as Oprah Winfrey, Jim Carrey, and Will Smith, consider visualization to be part of their success. Sports psychologists claim that visualization helps athletes improve their performance, overcome fear, and recover faster from injury. It helps doctors avoid mistakes, police officers experience less stress, and musicians play faster and better. Psychologists recommend visualization for:

• learning new skills;
• achieving difficult goals;
• gaining control and self-confidence;
• Maintaining calm during times of stress;
• developing new plans and strategies.

Rational people may be suspicious of this technique because it looks unscientific and smacks of esotericism. In fact, visualization is not related to astral projections and higher intelligence. It affects the human brain, and scientific evidence confirms this. How visualization affects the brain Scientists have discovered that the brain does not separate what is happening in imagination and in reality. When you remember something or imagine your future actions, it releases the same chemicals as in a real situation. Your brain behaves the same way, and it doesn’t matter if you’re experiencing an event in reality or just imagining it. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that the brain uses to give commands to the body, stimulate motor control, attention, and planning, which spurs a person to action. According to Hebbian’s theory, recognized in neurology, neurons that are excited together communicate with each other. By imagining the future, you create new neural connections in your brain that help you think and act differently. In particular, visualization stimulates the reticular activation system, an area in the brain that acts as an information filter and allows you to notice only what is important to you. That’s why when you start thinking about a new job or a new client, suddenly opportunities present themselves. How to use visualization correctly There are several key points of effective visualization. Set a clear goal that can be measured. When choosing a picture for visualization, try to make it as accurate and specific as possible. For example, if you want to work quietly on a book in the morning, imagine at what hour it happens and how long you will work. Imagine it in detail Imagine how you work and achieve the goal, step by step. Add as many details as possible: where you are, what you are wearing. Connect all your senses Try to imagine what it smells like in the room, how your feet are buzzing after running, how the applause caused by your brilliant speech sounds. Write it down as a script People who write down their goals on paper are more likely to achieve them. Write down your visualization script on a sheet, electronically, or in audio format. Listening to it again or rereading it will help you form a clearer image. Consider different scenarios. When you think about the future, inevitably there are fears, worries, and thoughts: “What if…” Use them to make your vision more flexible. Mentally go through barriers, both internal – lack of energy and self–confidence – and external. For example, time, money, circumstances. Imagine how you deal with each of them. So, if you are terribly afraid to perform in public, imagine the worst thing that can happen: you will fall while going up on stage. Think about what you’re going to do in this situation: get up, dust off your pants, and make some kind of joke to make the whole room roar with laughter. There is a good model for making such plans — WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan). The words from which the acronym is made up are translated as desire, result, circumstances, plan. Here’s how to use this model:

1. Write your wish for the next four weeks. It should be difficult, but achievable. Describe it in four to six words.
2. Imagine the result in detail. Describe it in as much detail as possible.
3. Come up with circumstances that might hinder you. Write down all your assumptions and fears. Record only what depends on you.
4. Create a plan. For each circumstance, come up with options for the development of events. For example: “If I fall on stage, I’ll get up and make a joke about it. If the phone rings while I’m writing, I’ll turn it off and call you back later.”

If the visualization technique still seems questionable to you, first try to achieve some small goal: learn how to do push-ups 50 times, find a part-time job, make a new friend. And when you are sure that it works, integrate it into your life on an ongoing basis. Source