How Fat and Sugar Makes You Keep on Eating
November 15, 2018
How to Release Your Inner Critic
April 1, 2019Blog
Why Visualizing Your Goals Is So Crucial
This Year Don't Set New Years Resolutions, Set Goals -Ashira Prossack, Forbes Women.
The statistics on how many people actually follow through and accomplish their New Year’s resolutions are rather grim. Studies have shown that less than 25% of people actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them.
Why goals?
That’s simple - because goals are specific, whereas resolutions tend to be broad and vague. Goals are much more actionable, which is what makes them more effective.
The Power of Visualization
Visualizations are a powerful tool to help us clearly outline what it would look, feel, sound, and be like once we arrive at our specific desired outcome or goal. When done correctly, visualizations allow us to tap into a deeper part of ourselves to uncover our deepest desires to set goals that we are more motivated to accomplish. This increases the odds that we will stick with the work required to achieve our goals.
Stay Motivated
Visualizations and being able to tap into and taste our desired outcome keeps us motivated even when life gets tough. Life happens so it's important to stay connected to your long term goals so that you make decisions that help get you closer to achieving them. Additionally, visualizations allow us to experience in this present moment exactly what we want to achieve, acting as a powerful reminder for why we are doing this in the first place.
Focus on What You Want, Not What You Don't Want
Visualizations take us away from what we don't want to experience even when life is challenging. They provide us with a great practice to instead refocus on what we do desire. When you include this as a regular practice, you will find that removing negative emotions and refocusing instead on clarifying your goals is much more pleasant. In doing so, you will begin to feel closer and closer to your goals and dreams.
Stop Negative Thinking
Incorporating visualizations into your morning practice will help you tap into thinking instead about what you do want. It can be a great way to rewire your thinking as you start your day on the right footing. You will begin to experience more consistent positive thinking the longer you practice this regularly. It takes time so be patient and keep doing the work.
Reduce Stress
If you're feeling unbalanced, ungrounded, or simply not like yourself, visualizations can be a great way to get back to balance. When you are particularly stressed, you could begin by imagining that the stress you are feeling is simply melting away like a waterfall. Once you feel more calm, then begin visualizing how you want your day to go, what you'd like to experience, and how you'd like to feel. Doing this will help reduce your stress, get you back to balance, and help you create the day you desire to experience.
To learn even more about the benefits of visualization and why you should make it a daily practice check out this article.
7 Strategies to Hold Your Vision
Visualize Your Vision
Most people set a goal or vision for the year without actually taking the time to clearly sit with what that vision or goal would look, feel, and sound like. This means that they don’t know when they’ve actually achieved it.
Sitting with and experiencing your vision to kick off the year and revisiting it throughout the year when challenges arise is critical to remaining focused.
Share Your Vision
Share your vision with friends, family members, your community, and your spouse. The more you speak your vision and your truth, the more likely you are to stay focused and breathe life into it.
Sharing also creates accountability. The more people you share your vision and goals with, the more accountability you have to achieve it and win your game.
Anchor In
Setting daily reminders through anchors is a great way to keep you on track when life gets busy or challenging. Your anchors are nice little friendly reminders of your vision and why you are doing all this work. Anchors are physical items in your daily environment that remind you of your vision and goals for the year. They help you break old habits or act as reminders of why you are doing this work.
Make a Plan
Write out your action steps monthly, weekly, or daily for how you will achieve your vision. The hardest step is the first one. The more you can create action as a daily activity for your vision, the more momentum you will get and that makes action much easier.
Find an Accountability Partner
Find a friend, co-worker, or family member that is also trying to hit big goals or vision for 2019. Work together on a schedule to chat regularly and hold each other to your action steps. Support each other when things get tough and the plan needs to be rebalanced.
Acknowledge Your Progress
Remember that progress is about 1% growth each day. Not every day or week will go according to plan and that’s ok. Just keep moving in the direction of growth consistently. Try implementing a nightly ritual of acknowledging all the tiny steps you’ve made towards your vision. These tiny steps are what eventually get you to the big vision in the end! Celebrate you...each step along the journey.
Don't Forget About Self Care
When we are striving for big visions and goals, sometimes there are things we have to let go of in order to grow. Change and growth are always a bit uncomfortable. So it’s really important that you take extra care of yourself. Get a massage, take a yoga class, get regular exercise, read a book you enjoy. It’s not just about striving. It’s about having fun along the way.
Upcoming Events
Be sure to check out my events page for upcoming workshops.
