Visualization Tips - Believe You Can Achieve Your Fitness Goals

I used to think that the practice of visualization was more of a pseudo-science aimed at selling books and self-help tapes. That was until I discovered myself using some visualization tricks to greatly improve everything form my speed on the mountain bike to how many pull-ups I can do. Here are just a few tips to help you with visualization to reach your fitness goals!

Visualization Tip #1 - View Something Outside of Your Mind
It’s common for visualization teachers to encourage you to make your own mini movie in your head of what you want to accomplish. It’s not a bad tactic since your imagination is powerful, but I find it's much easier to look directly at an actual image or picture. Online videos and pictures are really great for this. Just collect a bunch that represent your ultimate goal and look at them daily.

Visualization Tip #2 - Have a Positive Emotional Response
The next few tricks have to do with recognizing how the ego can sabotage the visualization process.  We may often see something we would like to accomplish, but the ego feels threatened and paints a negative emotion over the image. This can cause your subconscious to reject the possibility of success rather than embrace it. An example might be if you wanted to get six pack abs but every time you see someone with a toned waist, you refer to them as being shallow or stuck up. By purposely using a positive emotion with the image (hey nice abs!) you give your subconscious the green light to go after what you’re viewing.

Visualization Tip #3 - Believe You Can Achieve The Results In The Image
Another way the ego can sabotage the whole deal is to make up a reason why you can’t have the thing you are seeing, thus letting you off the hook of potential responsibility. This is often where excuses come from. By saying you don’t have the time, the money or the right equipment, the ego is shrugging off the potential for change. But if you have the courage to believe you can achieve the results in the image, you take control of the power within to make those things happen.

Visualization Tip #4 - Decide If You Want To Follow Through or Not
The final thing to do is to decide if you’re going to actively use your power to pursue the success you visualize. Our fitness culture tends to ignore this option. Most people wish to either be at the mercy of the universe and make excuses, or be in command of their own lives where they have to go for the gusto or else be labeled lazy.

You have power when you make a choice. It’s fine to recognize the potential and ability to achieve something, but choose to use your resources for other things. In fact, it’s more than fine because it allows you to keep your personal power for change intact so you can use it at a later time.

If you do choose to pursue the success in your visualization, then by all means put the pedal to the floor and go. Don’t let anything or anyone else stand in your way. By keeping a positively emotionally charged visual in your head, you will run over obstacles that otherwise seemed impossible to surmount.

By Matt Schifferle