Visualization is a powerful tool successful professionals use, from entertainers to educators to athletes to artists. When they struggle with their energy to persist through a difficulty or need a reminder of why they should work hard, they picture the outcome they want. They will imagine the small details and feelings associated with the applause, the trophy, or other results they hope for. Clarity and motivation can come from visualizing success.
To take advantage of the benefits of visualization, you must do the work before the need. Take time to visualize what life will feel like when you’ve achieved your most significant aims, and then you can utilize that vision when you need it most.
Imagine life either five, ten, or 20 years from now. How are you living out your values and purpose? How are the people in your life better off because of your work and life?
What is happening? Consider your family life, home, career, physical health, personal development, and spirituality. Envision what you are wearing, what is on your calendar, and what your home looks like. Engage your senses and visualize the whole scene in front of you. This moment is what you’ve worked for. What does it feel like? Imagine the specifics – details provide clarity.
Consider these future truths for yourself:
You have great Work-Life Flow and have control of your time.
You are healthy–physically and mentally.
You have great relationships and enjoy life’s activities with people who are important to you.
Your work is not easy or without challenges, but it aligns with your purpose.
You are positively impacting others at home, work, and possibly your community.
Imagine scenes that capture a vision of success and take note of all of the positive emotions that come with them. Take a piece of paper and
draw pictures. Cut out scenes from magazines. Take pictures from your travels. Look at pieces of art. Then create a verbal rendering.
Write about some elements you see in your vision of success.
There is no wrong answer. The power is in seeing the details in your mind’s eye and experiencing them with your senses. In the following exercise, we want you to begin the process in creating a verbal rendering you can share with your team, people you work with, family and the market.
Share with others and then come back to improve the characters, landscape, perspective, and details you experience with your senses. Speaking about vision always creates value in learning and building trust. Take time to document your current thinking here in CareerTruth.
You can update your vision of future success as you grow and gain wisdom through this life journey. Live your life with a picture of success.