The Secret Sauce to Success That Nobody Talks About? Visualisation

You know that funny thing that happens when you learn about something new; then bam, you suddenly notice it everywhere? 

It could be a TV show a friend recommends you watch; then you start seeing adverts for it everywhere. 

Or you compliment a colleague on their new coat, and then you start seeing that brand everywhere you go. 

It's a thing. You're not going crazy, we've all had those moments. It's called the confirmation bias. 

It's a cognitive tendency to notice something more often because you have a new focus associated with it. 

Well, visualisation works in the same way. 

So, what is visualisation? 

Visualisation is where you make a habit of picturing yourself doing the thing you want to achieve. 

You imagine accomplishing your goal, you think about the outcomes, how you feel about it and what’s happening around you. 

It helps to picture as much detail as possible; these minor details will help you create the visual image of you achieving that goal. 

The goal itself, well, that can be anything you want. It could be nailing the presentation at work or something personal like trying a new sport or hobby for the first time.  

Visualisation is about believing you can make your goals a reality. It’s often aligned with mindfulness and meditation, but it doesn’t have to be for everyone. 

To get started with visualising success, all you need is a quiet space to think about what you want to achieve. 

Let’s try it together. 

Try this 30-second Visualisation exercise 

Could you please use the original text where it says “Shut your eyes and think about the colour blue….etc ” So they actually do it and experience it rather than explaining what happens?

So, what’s happening? What’s the science behind it? 

• Your brain seeks out something to confirm your beliefs - confirmation bias.
• Your brain will remember the last thing way more clearly than anything before it - the recency effect. 

You were thinking blue, so you looked for it until you saw blue. Whatever you are thinking, you will see more of it. 

But, how does visualisation equal success? 

We're all guilty of letting negative thoughts creep in in the middle of the night. 

It's 4 am, the night before an interview, and you start thinking," I'm never going to get that promotion; I'm not good enough, qualified enough or knowledgeable enough, " so you start picturing the worst-case scenario in your mind. 

What if I present you with the same situation, but you flip the switch on your thoughts to think more positively? "I'll definitely get that promotion; I'm qualified for the role, and I connect well with people.", what will you now start to see? You'll begin to see yourself getting that job! 

While it can't guarantee the ideal outcome every time, it puts you in the right mindset and allows you to believe it is possible. 

It's the self-fulfilling prophecy that if you believe you can, you will. 

Don’t just take my word for it

Here’s some examples where the power of visualisation has worked for others:

• Oprah Winfrey, one of the most successful women in the world, is very vocal about her belief in affirmations and visualisation. 
  
  Oprah said when she was young and living in hardship, she’d tell herself over and over again: “My life won’t be like this. My life won’t be like this, it will be better.”
  
  Alongside frequently showcasing other success stories of visualisation on her show and discussing her vision boards, Oprah’s words to fans are clear: “Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe. ”

• Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps has shared that before every race, he visualises every detail before it happens, every morning and night. Now? He holds a record for the highest number of gold medals ever. 
• In his early acting days, Jim Carrey struggled to break through in Hollywood. To keep himself motivated, he wrote a cheque to himself for $10 million to cash at a future date (1994), carrying it in his daily wallet as a reminder. Cut to 1994, and he earned exactly $10 million for his career-changing role in Dumb and Dumber.

So, can you visualise your future success? 

Winning that pitch. Getting that interview. Nailing that presentation. Whatever your goal may be, can you picture yourself doing it? 

Even if you doubt whether it’s possible, I urge you to visualise yourself achieving that goal. It can be a powerful way of helping change your mindset and enabling you to believe it’s possible. 

Remember, everyone does it differently. There is no right or wrong way to do it; here’s a few suggestions to get you started. Pick what feels right for you:

• Lean into mindfulness: Go to a quiet space, block out any sounds, close your eyes and allow your mind to picture the possibilities of achieving your goal.
  
  
• Get it written down: To help you practise visualisation, you can put a vision board together to help you internalise exactly what goals you want to achieve, or you can begin writing positive affirmations that will help you on your way to accomplishing them.
  
  
• Follow a guide: Watch our video above to follow our guide to visualisation