July 23, 2010
Gord Waddell | THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Creative visualization is a simple and effective psychological tool used to help people realize their dreams and goals.
Akin to daydreaming, creative visualization is defined as producing a mental image of a desired outcome that you will turn into reality.
Creative visualization is associated with positive thinking, a technique where people push themselves to be increasingly optimistic in all situations.
The mind is a powerful tool, and people’s frames of mind, feelings and thoughts often bring about the results they imagine.
People who are continuously down on themselves and think they can’t achieve much often fulfil these self-expectations through their own negative behaviour.
But people who believe in themselves are often more successful and are able to use their positive attitude to bring about success in their life.
It’s important to be realistic when using creative visualization. If you’ve just had knee replacement surgery, your chances of winning the Boston Marathon a week later are pretty slim. But if your goal is to finish a marathon a year after the surgery, visualization can help you achieve that goal.
To use the technique, start off small. For example, if you have a personal fitness routine and you’re unable to get through the routine without resting, keep visualizing yourself completing the routine with energy to spare. Eventually, you’ll be able to focus on your goal and achieve it.
The next time you play golf on a familiar course, imagine hitting every stroke successfully the night before you play. The next day, see how well you play compared to previous times you’ve played the course.
You may not reach the level you foresaw in your first visualization attempt, but it is an evolving process. And starting small opens the way for you to visualize greater goals.
I first learned about visualization when I was training for the World Kickboxing and Karate Association championship in 2001. In the weeks prior to the tournament, I would visualize myself competing and winning against the defending world champion.
While I was training, I would imagine myself competing against the champ in the ring. For months, every time I went for a run, lifted weights or sparred, in my mind, he was right there beside me competing with me.
I faced this opponent in the semifinals and beat him. It was the most exhilarating moment of my competitive career. I ultimately went on to win the world championship.
From family to business issues, imagining the desired outcomes of events and replaying them in my mind has helped me achieve success in both realms.
Gord Waddell is a 2001 World Kickboxing and Karate Association champion kickboxer and owner of United Family Martial Arts School in Hamilton (www.ufmadundurn.com).
http://thespec.com/article/811810
