Chapter 5: Common Inhibitions of the Power of Visualization
If something is working for others, but you aren’t getting the same result, it’s either something is wrong with that thing or you. If you aren’t getting the same positive results that many people enjoy when they practice visualization, it might be because you are practicing it wrongly. This chapter is diagnostic because it aims to identify “symptoms” of a wrong approach to visualization. If your visualization isn’t yielding the desired outcomes, it might be due to one or more of the following reasons.
When you don’t have a clear-cut goal, you cannot set your mind in the right direction to achieve it. You shouldn’t set targets that are hazy because they will become unrealistic and unattainable in the long run. For example, you cannot say that your dream is to become the best in your field. It sounds reasonable and admirable at first glance. However, a critical look at the statement shows that it is vague.
What do you mean by best in your field? What are the parameters you will use to judge and know when you have achieved that goal? A dream that isn’t clearly defined is just a fantasy that will never leave the realm of your imagination. However, it’s better when your goal involves specific milestones and benchmarks, such as winning a coveted award that will distinguish you from others in your field.
The requirements for achieving long-term goals aren’t the same for short- term goals. So, you need to know what you need to do in both situations. Short-term goals require a lot of commitment, focus, motivation, and energy because you need to accomplish the target within a short period. However, it’s a different ball game when you want to achieve a goal that will take months or years.
For example, if you want to become a medical expert, it’s not something you can achieve within weeks of training. This target and similar long-term goals require patience. Therefore, if you cannot hang in there and wade off distractions, you won’t be able to attain them. You might have a mental route regarding how you will reach your destination. However, if you get distracted or frustrated along the line, you will abandon the project and find something else you can do with your life.
Negative thoughts are the enemies of visualization. If your mind is full of doubts and disbelief in your ability to achieve your dream, your efforts will be futile. Remember that every substantial target has its challenges. It’s your mindset that will see you through during those difficult times. If you allow the thoughts and voices of pessimism to dominate your mind, you will give up at some point.
Therefore, you should do all you can to kick out the voices in your head saying that you will end up like someone you know who failed at what you are trying to achieve. We all have fears, and it is okay to be scared sometimes. However, you have to face your fears head-on and damn the consequences of your commitment to achieve your dream. Fill your mind with positive thoughts that will inspire you to keep your eyes on the ball.
Being overambitious isn’t good because it can lead to desperation. Meanwhile, when you are desperate, you can lose everything valuable for you to achieve your dream. You can compromise on your relationship with your loved ones and your health when you can do anything to accomplish a target. However, you cannot achieve anything monumental when you aren’t ambitious.
You need a strong desire to get to the finishing line to achieve anything substantial. When you aren’t ambitious, you will take whatever cards life has dealt you. You cannot afford to go through life without the desire to make a mark. You should have things you want to achieve that will give you a sense of achievement. Visualization cannot be effective when you don’t have a strong determination to become the best you can be.
As mentioned early, visualization isn’t all about creating images in your head and expecting things to work out somehow. Anyone who thinks they can make a mark in life with that languid and lackadaisical approach has no clue regarding what it takes to be an achiever. Visualization isn’t a magical practice that gives you results from thin air. Anyone who tells you that you can become great by just imagining greatness is only introducing you to a Ponzi scheme.
There are certain rules you have to follow before you can stand up to be counted among the successful people in this world. One of them is that you have to be committed to whatever it is you want to achieve. Once you visualize the dream, you have to be ready to put in the hard work necessary to accomplish it.
You cannot achieve your dream when you don’t have a clue regarding how you can accomplish it. For example, if you want to be a highly-rated investor, you need to know what it takes. You’ll need training and mentorship from people who can help you reach your target. It’s always better to be trained by people who have achieved your target before. Such people will be able to provide you with the knowledge and tips you need.
They will be able to provide practical guidance for you because of their experience. They know the likely potholes in your journey, and they will warn you about them before you get there. You don’t have to learn by making mistakes because they can be costly sometimes. It’s always better to learn from the errors of others so that you can avoid the same pitfall they fell into. Visualization without getting trained to succeed is just a joke.
An inactive person isn’t serious about achieving anything in life. You cannot achieve your dreams when you aren’t actively working towards them. Visualization isn’t a practice that keeps you sitting somewhere, hoping things work out miraculously. Rather, it fills your boot with the fire to go all out to do all you can to make things work out. Don’t confuse patience with inactivity because they aren’t the same.
There might be periods when you have no choice other than to wait. However, patience doesn’t mean that you’ll not be doing anything. Rather, it is all about believing in the process rather than getting frustrated because you are yet to achieve your targets. Visualization cannot have any impact on the life of a lazy person. You must never rest on your laurels until you have reached your destination.
When you imagine yourself attaining a target, you need to persevere until your imagination becomes a reality. There is a gap between your imaginations and their fulfillment. It is in your best interest to fill that gap with patience and perseverance. You need these virtues to bridge the realm of reality and the realm of dreams. You need to be dogged enough to hang in there when things are not going the way you want them.
You should also be resilient enough to recover when it seems your dreams are getting shattered. There will be moments like that when it looks as though you’ll never reach your destination. You also need people who’ll help you keep calm and keep fighting until the end. Visualization is a means and not the end. Perseverance is one of the keys that will help you to make your imaginations a reality.