I think, you know, it’s hard to know which decision to make without an understanding of where you’re going. We need to follow a path of some kind, a trail, a road that’s taking us somewhere. There’s just too much to process otherwise, right? Surely you can’t undertake any task without having an aim. Importantly, I think, we can often be performing tasks unconscious of where we are going. On top of that psychologically people are complex and can be guided by an array of complex unconscious biases and atypical neurosis. If you’ve got some idea of a future you’d like to work towards and build you can maybe see how some of this inner chaos can prove problematic, driving you to make decisions that are unhelpful in the greater scheme of your life.
I started to understand this for myself when I started to use visualisation as a method for keeping me on the right path, so to speak. The moment of revelation came for me out of an understanding that we can only see what we’re aiming for. I’ve written about this before but the point can not be stated enough, our brains process information based on what we’re looking for. If we’re not looking for the right things we can’t see them.
I started a journal for myself where every day I write about my future. I write about where I’m going in the present tense as if I’m already there. It takes effort to force your brain to think about this stuff. Particularly early on as you have to untangle the negative self-talk that’s growing through your subconscious. But after a while, you start to understand clearly what you want. I found there were certain themes, ideas and places that would recur for me.
Visualisation is the act of imagining a future for yourself. It’s taking the time to picture the place you’d like to be. You can also picture how you’re planning on getting there. It’s a kind of meditation that has been proven to help rewire your neural networks. It can be difficult at first but through practice, you can feel more optimistic about aspects of your life. It’ll help you to stop thinking ‘I can’t do this’ and start thinking ‘I will do this’.
It’s can be used across any discipline and applies to all walks of life. The key to visualising the future is trying to do it in as much detail as possible. Use all your senses. If you can see it, smell it, taste it, hear it and feel it you will come away with a clear direction as to where you are going. Then you will begin to notice the opportunities in your life that will take you to that place.
Many celebrities across a myriad of disciplines have been known to practice visualisation. Some examples are Michael Jordan, Will Smith, Idris Elba, Mohammed Ali, Jim Carey and Jay Z to name a few.
The power of visualisation can be found in the small changes that it can make to your life for the better. The way that it can change your brain to see the things you would have missed otherwise. By using visualisation you’ll feel more confident and capable of tackling challenges as they arise. I’d recommend getting a journal and trying it for yourself.
