During the New Year, we hear a lot of talk about vision boards.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made my fair share of vision boards, but they did not work for me the way they worked for other people.

If you have tried vision boards time after time and didn’t get the results you wanted, this blog is for you.

Today I am sharing three techniques you can use today to visualize and achieve your desired life. 

Before I jump into the techniques, let’s revisit what visualization is.

Visualization

The technical definition of visualization is “the formation of mental images or the act or process of interpreting visual terms or putting them into visual form.” 

I don’t know about you, but that definition makes my head hurt. 

Here is how I define visualization: the process of creating pictures in my head of things I want to achieve and connecting them to emotions I will feel when I complete them. 

There are several ways visualization can be achieved, as everyone does not use the same technique.

As humans, we are always using visualization. It happens so naturally that we don’t even realize we are doing it most of the time. 

The visualization process consists of two types of simulation: outcome and process.

The outcome simulation is a sensory-based representation of the outcome you want to receive.

Process simulation involves simulating the actual steps to get the result. 

Now that our visualization knowledge has been refreshed, let’s get familiar with the three techniques we can use starting today.

Picture And Describe

The more details and information you have in your visualization, the more natural it will seem and the more it will increase performance. 

Your brain then creates a neural connection that results from the visual image and enhances motivation, increasing your chances of taking action toward your goal.

Here is an example: you think about wanting a steak dinner, but you immediately dismiss the thought, so you forget about it as quickly as you thought of it.

If you think about the same steak dinner, close your eyes and imagine all of the details of the spread. 

Like how well the steak is cooked, the seasonings used to cook the steak, the side items you have with the steak, the beverage you are drinking with the steak dinner, your mouth will start to water, and your goal becomes getting this steak dinner.

Once you have this picture with all the details, your brain works to figure out how to get what you want. 

This could look like going to the grocery store to pick up the items you need for your steak dinner or going to your favorite steak house. 

The key to this visualization technique is to create a detailed picture and describe it using all of your senses. 

You keep adding more details until it feels as real as if you are experiencing it. 

Emotional Intensity

Emotion is a sensory-based representation in the brain.

Thoughts come before emotion, so when you feel something deeply, you have achieved a level of belief associated with it. 

Think about this we usually do not get upset by something that we know to be unreal or true. 

The more you believe something to be, the more emotional impact it has on you. 

You create as much detail around the visualization as you can so you can begin to feel the experience as if it was real.

Once you feel it, you have crossed the threshold that leads to action. You can enhance your visual stimulation by listening to music that matches the emotional intensity of your vision. 

For example, when you watch a horror movie, you know it’s just a movie. Still, when suspenseful music matches the visual, you can forget you’re watching a movie and feel the sensation the scene is portraying. 

Think about the times you’ve wanted to start working out or run a marathon. You probably created a playlist that contained music to inspire you and encourage you to keep going. 

Exposure

Because it can be difficult for us to create a visual simulation for something we have never seen or done to we would need to expose ourselves to more detail outside of our inner world. 

This visualization technique is suitable for individuals who like to learn about things before they do them. 

For instance, I love to research and learn about things before doing them.  Visualization is no different.

I spent time learning about the different techniques and ways to visualize.

I read books, watched videos, and spent time trying the techniques to see which method worked for me. 

Like I said earlier, I used to do several visions boards a year, but I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. 

I realized cutting pictures, and words out of magazines didn’t create an emotional bond I needed to connect with my visions. 

The more I researched visualization techniques, the more I learned about visualization and manifestations, which is why I can share this information with you today. 

To use the exposure method, you have to know what is involved in the things you are visualizing. 

You can’t visualize being a star football player if you don’t know the difference between football and basketball. 

Explore and Grow

There is no right or wrong visualization technique. 

You must use the best technique for you and get you the results you want. 

You may find there are multiple techniques that you like and work well for you and some techniques that do not work at all. 

Continue to explore as you learn more about yourself and what you want out of your life.