If You Can Visualise It, You Can Achieve It

What a great trip to San Diego this has been with Julie. It included a keynote talk at the ATD conference (it wasn’t on the big stage but a smaller setting yet still exciting), a book signing at the conference and a chance to see Barrack Obama speak in front of 10,000 people.

I made four contacts while out there and will be following those up. It is interesting how things have developed since I started my Dream Board and have visualised achieving all the Dreams I have on that board daily.

Teaching people to visualise

During my talk I taught the whole audience how to visualise professionally using an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) technique. You could hear a pin drop as I took them through a happy memory visualisation. I included all the senses to bring the memory back to life.

Around 60% of people can see images clearly in their minds when they close their eyes and visualise – the other 40% can’t. Of the remaining 40% around 20% can hear the sounds clearly and the other 20% can feel the feelings. This is why I go through all the senses during the teaching process.

Creating a Dream Board

I created my Dream Board (or Vision Board) around 5 years ago and since that time everything has changed in my life. I’ve achieved many of the Dreams on the board and these have been removed to be replaced by new Dreams. This practice combined with a few simple techniques has had a powerful effect on my life.

It is exciting to visualise these in the morning. As I visualise I can feel the feelings of each of the Dreams as I imagine achieving these. These feelings make me feel good and so I start the day full of positive energy and this helps the day go better.

Positivity breeds positivity

When we are positive we are full of energy – when we are negative we have low energy. Therefore, staying positive maintains a higher level of energy and we achieve more so we feel positive and the high energy remains and on it goes. The reverse of this is also true.

I came across this amusing story recently which made me think about positive vs negative:

Complain, Complain, Complain.

It takes a disciplined spirit to endure the monastery on Mount Serat in Spain. One of the fundamental requirements of this religious order is that the young men must maintain silence. Opportunities to speak are scheduled once every two years, at which time they are allowed to speak only two words.

One young initiate in this religious order, who had completed his first two years of training, was invited by his superior to make his first two-word presentation. “Food terrible,” he said. Two years later the invitation was once again extended.

The young man used this forum to exclaim, “Bed lumpy.” Arriving at his superior’s office two years later he proclaimed, “I quit.” The superior looked at this young monk and said, “You know, it doesn’t surprise me a bit. All you’ve done since you arrived is complain, complain, complain.

Exaggerated? Maybe. What if you were asked to share two words that describe your Life? would your focus be the lumps, bumps, and unfairness, or are you committed to dwell on those things that are good, right, and lovely?

What we focus on is what we receive and eventually become. Focus on the positive and life seems to work much better.

Thoughts for the week.

1. Do you have any dreams and goals?
2. If you do what are you doing to bring these into your life?
3. Visualisation is being used by all the top athletes and other high achievers across the world.
4. Why not give it a go and create your own Dream Board?

If you want any tips on this then just reply to this email.

Well that’s it from San Diego have a wonderful weekend and stay positive.

Warm regards

John

Off the Wall – How to Develop World Class Mental Resilience available here
http://www.jdmindcoach.co.uk/product/off-the-wall-how-to-develop-world-class-mental-resilience/ (Special offer. Put in code 10POUND when prompted to receive a signed copy for £10 including postage and packing – UK only)