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Visualization-Things to Know Before You Begin
Before you begin your creative visualization practice, there are a few things you need to first consider. While the process of visualization is organic in nature, it is also a very powerful process. The best way to ensure your success with it is to make sure that what you want is completely in line with what you intend to receive from creative visualization. Think of it as some mental housecleaning that you do so that you can get the absolute best results from your practice.
The most important consideration is–what is it you truly want?
Think of it this way–you’re going on vacation, and you know what airport is the closest, so you’ll leave from that airport. Do you arrive at the airport to depart without a destination in mind, and just say “surprise me” at the ticket counter? You could throw caution to the wind, but you’re certainly not guaranteed to get anywhere you’d be happy going to.
In order to find the quickest way to your destination from where you’re at, you need to know where or what that destination is.
And it is the same when practicing creative visualization. You need to know exactly where you’re headed, from exactly where you’re at, in order to come up with those action steps that will take you to that destination in the most efficient and effective manner. And if you don’t, you could essentially be wasting time “traveling” in all the wrong directions for where it is you’d like to end up.
One technique to find your “destination” is to find your Big Why.
Your "Big Why" is the ultimate reason you want whatever change is to occur. Asking yourself, “Why do I need this change to occur in my life in order to be happier” or something similar will bring you closer to the answer.
If your Big Why is to quit your job to work at home, then you know your destination involves finding work that you can do at home, and building up your income to a level equal to or greater than your current job income. Use creative visualization to foresee yourself working at home and enjoying that freedom, and then come up with the action steps to get to that destination.
So even though there are some things to hash out before the creative visualization practice begins, you’ll find that taking this extra time will ensure your success in getting to the goal!
The Importance of Creative Visualization
Humans have developed to use our imaginations for all kinds of purposes. Whether it is for comfort, entertainment, safety, or protection, our own imagination performs many jobs in our day to day lives that we rarely, if ever, even think about.
Visualizing can be a powerful tool in our self-help and self-preservation toolkit. The process can be undertaken at any time of the day, in virtually any situation you can think of. All you really need is your brain, and since that’s already with you all the time, you’re all set!
Creative visualization is just one way our brain seeks to find the solution to a problem. If we creatively think about a situation, we can imagine the situation from all angles and see the various outcomes. Clearly, we will choose one outcome over the rest that appeals to us the greatest, and we can then focus on attaining that outcome.
The importance of creative visualization comes into play as we seek to attain that one appealing outcome. We are genetically built to use our imagination without even being conscious of doing it. When we intentionally focus our imagination on a single outcome, it becomes much easier for us to set up action steps to take to finally get to that outcome.
It doesn’t matter what the outcome is. You might be surprised to know that you can use creative visualization to attain any goal at all–there is no right or wrong.
If you want weight loss, visualize yourself wearing clothes you love, and let yourself feel the confidence you have in your new body.
If you want more money, visualize your ideal situation–your ideal location, home, companions, etc. What kind of work do you see yourself doing?
If you want to travel, visualize yourself going to the airport, your luggage full of resort-wear. Imagine yourself on a warm and sunny beach, napping while you hear the waves of the ocean lapping up on the shore.
The next step, once the goal has been established, is to use your imagination to discover steps you can take to actually get to those places–the beach, the slimmer body, or making more money. A dream is only a dream if there is no action taken. Once you begin taking action, it’s a plan!
Creativity is so important in this process. Without creativity and imagination, you can’t envision what you want to have and what you want to be.
Use your imagination to fuel your future!
Relaxation Through Breathing
Before you embark on your creative visualization journey, let’s talk a bit about relaxation and why it’s so important to the process.
Stress is our mind and body’s number one enemy. It causes many diseases–both mental and physical. In order to get the most out of your visualization practice, it’s vital to learn first how to relax completely.
The best way to begin relaxing is a technique called “diaphragmatic breathing”. Some tips are below but you can also consider downloading an app like Calm or Breathe on your phone. These are great for guided breathing and meditation exercises.
Take a deep breath. Do your shoulders automatically move up? Or does your belly extend?
If your belly extends, you are already breathing diaphragmatically. But most people breath into their chest and that is “stress breathing”. Your body learns stress breathing in times of fight-or-flight, and the longer you are stressed, the more your body relies on this type of breathing.
The good news is that it’s very easy to learn diaphragmatic breathing and the more you concentrate on doing this, the faster your body will re-learn that this is the type of breathing that is best for it.
To begin, lie down comfortably on your back. Put a pillow under your knees if your lower back bothers you in a flat position. Now, place one palm on your chest, and one palm on your belly, just above your belly button.
Take a deep breath while trying to keep your chest still, and only moving the hand that is on your belly. This can take some practice, as it will not feel normal (and may even be a bit uncomfortable)if you are normally a stress-breather.
Breathing into your belly is diaphragmatic breathing, and will result in your belly extending as you take in oxygen, and relaxing as you exhale.
As you breathe, concentrate on keeping the hand on your chest still by keeping your chest still as you breathe. If that hand moves, that means you’re breathing into your chest instead of your diaphragm.
Ideally, do this a couple of times a day, until you automatically breathe moving only the hand on your belly. Performing diaphragmatic breathing at night before bed will help your brain “remember” to breathe this way all night. You will wake up feeling more rested and you’ll have more consistent energy during your day.
Utilizing this specific type of breathing before performing your creative visualization will enable you to quiet both your body and mind and will help you focus better on your visualizations. Combining breathing with conscious relaxation of each of your major muscle groups will help set up both your mind and your body for greater success in your creative visualization practice.
Walking the Walk
If you intend to put in the time and energy to practice creative visualization, it makes sense to make the necessary changes in your everyday life that will help you stay on course with your goal.
Creative visualization is more than simply wishing or hoping for change to occur. It is more than daydreaming about things bigger than what we currently have. There is nothing magical about it at all. It is simply focusing intently on the outcome, and the steps it will take to get you to that outcome.
The operative phrase there is “and the steps it will take to get you to that outcome.” When you practice creative visualization without actively changing your lifestyle to align with it, it is akin to working out for two hours each day only to stop at McDonald’s every night on the way home from work. It has to be all in, or all out, but there really aren’t any in-betweens.
Lucid daydreaming, wishing, and hoping are all very passive activities. They are outcomes without any action. And without action, you can’t expect to reach your goal, right? This isn’t to say that these aren’t enjoyable activities! Just that they won’t get you to your intended outcome.
When you’re truly ready to reach those goals and do what it takes to achieve your ultimate success, that’s when creative visualization should enter the picture. It is then that you’ll be able to concentrate, focus, and take the steps that are necessary, even if those steps seem uncomfortable at first. By utilizing visualization and practicing it often, you’ll be able to take true responsibility for your life and how you live it. This, of course, takes courage, but you’ll see the difference in how your life unfolds, and you’ll know you're on the right track!
When you do begin to see these differences in your life, that will give you even more momentum and those necessary changes will seem easier and easier as time goes on.
It’s a positive circular cycle that will serve you well. You’ll practice creative visualization, which will show you the steps to take to reach your goals, you'll get closer to achieving your goals, and you’ll want to practice creative visualization even more!
In this way, using this positive circular cycle, you’ll have a better life, and you'll have achieved the goals you intend in less time, but with more efficiency and effectiveness!
Click HERE to download a FREE copy of this personal development workbook to use as part of your visualization practices.
Rebecca Paciorek is an Online Business Manager specializing in assisting in the growth of your business through traditional and digital means.
*I often recommend products and services that I use or that have been recommended to me by people we trust. In many cases these recommendations are accompanied by an affiliate link, which provides me with a referral commission should you click through and make a purchase.
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