Did you watch the Dancing with the Stars finale this season? Yes, I admit it; I watch that show. I love the waltzes that are so graceful with the beautiful dresses and flowing fabric.
Hines Ward, of Pittsburgh Steelers fame, won. The cool thing about Hines is that when he danced, it seemed like the joy or intensity or whatever emotion was called for in the particular dance, was coming from deep inside. I found out why when he attributed his success not only to his partner but also to the power of visualization. Go, Hines! Thank you for talking about visualization on national TV.
Visualization is not a new concept for elite athletes. Take Michael Phelps, for example. During the Olympics a few years back, we were captivated when he swept all those gold medals. However, I especially loved his comment when it was over: "Nothing is impossible," Phelps remarked. "With so many people saying it couldn't be done, all it takes is an imagination, and that's something I learned and something that helped me."
He’s referring to the power of visualization, the same technique used regularly by Hines Ward, both on the football field and on the dance floor. Visualization is defined as using your imagination to create mental images of what you want in your life. Essentially visualization is the ability to use your mind (through imagination) to see the result that you want and use your emotions (through feelings) to ignite the manifestation of those desires.
It sounds simplistic and a little like daydreaming, doesn’t it? Believe me, it’s not. It’s a powerful tool that we can all use to help us improve our performance; without action, it is just daydreaming or wishful thinking, but when we use the power of visualization to fuel and perfect our actions, we become unstoppable!
We can all be like Hines Ward, Michael Phelps, and the scores of other athletes and successful individuals that use the power of visualization. All it takes is believing that nothing is impossible and then using our imaginations to create what we want in our life.
But first, you have to know what you want and believe it’s possible. For Phelps, that was easy – he had his goal for many years. Then he mentally saw himself making the perfect strokes that resulted in winning every event – that was his imagination part. Research studies prove that when we imagine ourselves taking the exact steps necessary to accomplish a task, our brain doesn’t know the difference between our actually doing it and our imagining. So we become proficient and confident through our visualization.
Hines Ward did the same thing; he visualized himself executing the dance steps exactly as choreographed and completing each dance perfectly. I’m just guessing here, but I imagine he also visualized himself being announced as the winner of Dancing With the Stars as he was handed that mirror ball trophy.
We can do the same thing when we are in the role of salesperson for our product or service. Just a few ways we can use the power of visualization to help us achieve our goals include visualizing the conversations we have with prospects when we authentically and compassionately activate their gap, the networking meetings we attend where we attract people who are excited to spend time with us, and the performance of our service with a heart-to-heart connection to our customers.
Here are three keys for using the power of visualization that will propel you to success, once you have identified your desires:
1. Visualize often. The more you visualize a certain result, the stronger it will become and the more likely you will manifest the outcome desired. We typically have patterns of thought in our mind; beliefs that are like well-worn paths. Once we begin to grow and stretch into new levels of success, reinforcing our new beliefs about ourselves and what we can achieve by using the power of visualization every day will speed up our transformation.
Just fifteen minutes of daily visualization will have a huge impact on your success. Use the Daily Accountability Tracking Sheet for support until daily visualization becomes an established habit.
2. Power your visualization with emotions. During your visualization, feel the emotion that comes up. Get excited about seeing your goals achieved. Feel and take in the emotion so you can remember it; use that memory to motivate you to take the necessary actions to achieve your goals.
3. Keep the faith. It doesn’t do any good to spend fifteen minutes a day visualizing your success and then counteract it with fifteen hours of worry about your current state of affairs. Instead, allow yourself to stay in the energy of your visualization by repeating affirmations or using other alignment techniques when you find yourself caught up in negative self-talk.
Use the power of visualization to achieve success in your business. See yourself easily selling your products, talking about your services and converting prospects to customers while enjoying the life you desire. It can and will happen once you make daily visualization a habit.
Pat Altvater partners with solo entrepreneurs to implement a sales and marketing process and plan that brings them joy and increases their bottom line. She is the author of Choose Success - Ignite the Power Within and President of Transformations Institute. Teaching women to embrace personal growth and success in a FUN, joyful manner is her mission which she accomplishes with group presentations, accountability circles, and coaching as well as through her books and blogs, numerous products, and monthly videos. Visit her website – Sales Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs.