What the mind sees whether in the physical or in the spiritual mental realm it creates more of. The focused mind relies on images to determine what to create and you give the command more effectively with words. You are then working on the auditory and visual aspect of the creative process when you employ both the inner vision with affirmations.
Many people have quite a difficult time with using affirmations. They find that it makes no difference in their life and they get little joy in doing it. One reason for this is because what they are affirming is so far from where they presently are or what they presently have that they must first come into the belief of having what they want. Someone could be affirming a healthy fit body but ever time they look in the mirror they see a body that is far from healthy or fit. For that person to repeat an affirmation such as, “My body is now fit and healthy,” would seem untrue and further affirm the opposite to that person. The more they repeated that statement the more frustrated they would become while looking in the mirror and realizing that their body is not what they say.
This is the reason why affirmations done without an inner mental picture is not as successful as one done with a mental vision of the thing being affirmed. The picture must go with the words to be powerful. When the two are met there is harmony and belief grows.
When you enter that inner realm and use your imagination to envision yourself living or being in the way that you want, you are living and experiencing it in the Now moment. As you affirm that now moment it becomes more real. You will have a much easier time of repeating affirmations to what you can allow your inner mind to see and feel. For each day that you experience this the more your belief grows the more the image of that experience will move into your physical experience.