Step 4 - Visualise your success

Losers visualise the penalties of failure. Winners visualise the rewards of success. –
Dr Rob Gilbert

A study was done by the University of Chicago in the 1920's to see how visualisation affected students shooting basketball hoops. The researchers tested the three groups before starting the 30-day experiment to determine their current skill levels. The first group had to practise shooting hoops from the free throw line every day for an hour. The second group did no physical practising but they had to imagine that they were practising. They were told to imagine themselves successfully shooting hoops - specifically how it would feel - also for an hour a day. The third group was not allowed to play any basketball for the entire month.

At the end of the month, the results were in. The first group improved by 24%, which proves that work does pay off. The second group improved by … wait for this…23%. Almost identical to the first group. The third group showed no improvement - no real surprise since they did nothing. Wasn't the second group amazing? This proves that if you're willing to visualise your success, it gets so much easier to achieve your goals.

Successful people train their minds to think about what they want to have happen in their lives. Unsuccessful people lack the mental discipline to do this. I heard a Penny Heyns interview on the radio a few months ago and she was asked about the two gold medals she won a few years ago. She told the interviewer that she'd already swum those two races at those speeds many times over before the actual race day. You see, her coach required that she visualise her success in the races.

I must admit that I'm not as diligent about visualisation as I should be but I do use it for big events like interviews. I picture myself being confident, self-assured, likeable and other such good things. It usually pays off as it has this time too - I've just been offered a fabulous position at another insurance company.

Let's end off with another good quote, this time from Michael Jordon: "I visualised where I wanted to be, what kind of player I wanted to become. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, and I focused on getting there."

Action steps for the month
1. Spend a few minutes at the beginning and end of each day visualising your success in different areas of your life.
2. Choose any specific activity this month (meeting, gym class, interview, etc) and picture yourself doing it well.

'Til next time…

Enjoy success
Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/