Visualize This....

Quieting my mind is not easy. I seem to be always thinking about something; What I will wear tomorrow, what we need at the grocery store, when our hydro bill is going to arrive, the list goes on and on. Over the years I have tried to meditate because I know it would be so good for me but again, I can't seem to quiet my mind. The same thing happens when I try to practice visualization.

Visualization is basically harnessing the power of the imagination to help you reach your goals and dreams. It means spending time everyday imagining the YOU you want to become as if you already are that person. This is not easy! First, it requires finding some quiet time to spend alone imagining. Anyone who is a mom knows this is not easy. In fact it is not easy for anyone, our days seem to be jam packed with the important and the mundane. Then it requires that you empty your mind of all things and focus solely on your goal. I would always try to get this picture in my mind of myself looking gorgeous with a perfect figure. It would become clear and then in an instant it would be gone and I would be thinking about some sort of work deadline. That was until I learned how to make visualization WAY easier. Thank you Tony Robbins!

I am a big fan of that giant creature known as Tony Robbins. Him personally I can only take in small doses but his lessons are rock solid. I have a lot of his books and audio programs from my days as a sales rep where I would listen to audio books in my car all the time. He has a two part way to make visualization much easier and more effective which I will explain in layman's terms here.

1) Decide What You Want

• Spend a few minutes writing down what your ideal life would look like if NOTHING could get in the way. That means no limitations; Not education, not money, not family. Basically the world is your oyster. You can focus on just one aspect of your life or what I do and focus on everything. I wrote down everything from having a happy marriage to driving my black BMW with red leather interior. I wrote down where I live, what I am doing in my career, how many kids I have and of course, how I look and feel. I have done this many times and the key I find is to put in as much detail as possible. What this does is gets you thinking about what is possible instead of just living in the moment.

2) Visualize in Action

• For me, this is key. When I close my eyes to visualize, I play a movie in my mind. I watch my perfect self in action instead of focusing on a sole image. I am not sure why this works so well but my guess is that it keeps your mind engaged so it doesn't wander. Right now my focus is on changing my body and life for the positive. I have two reels that I play in my mind everyday after I write out my goals. In both visualizations I look vibrantly healthy with glowing skin and a physically fit body. I am not a waif, I just look HEALTHY. In the first visualization, I am dressed in yoga pants and jacket (lulu lemon since I have never been able to buy those!) going for a hike with my family. We are happy and enjoying the fresh air. In the second visualization, I am in a beautifully tailored business suit with high heels doing a lecture. I love public speaking but I have never felt like I was a good representation of what I was teaching about. In this visualization I am not only talking the talk, I am walking the walk (and looking hot doing so!).

Cool eh? Knowing how to do it is one thing, actually doing it is another. I have to really force myself to take that few minutes everyday after I write down my goals to actually do it. If we really think about it though, we visualize all the time. Where the problem lies is that most people are visualizing things that don't serve them. Thinking about the past is a form of visualization. You do something wrong or something is done to you and you play that scenario over and over in your mind. This is visualization. Worrying is a form of visualization in that you are imagining what could go wrong. Negative self talk is also a form of visualization. What do you think would happen if you replaced all of this "visualization" with focusing on what was possible? Try it and see!

We become what we think about, most of the time.
~ Earl Nightingale