x_Practice visualization

Practice Visualization

Visualization is the practice of training our brain to memorize new skills, behaviors, and even thoughts and emotions through imagining these in our minds.

The brain cannot distinguish between a real experience and an imagined one. So when we close our eyes and imagine ourselves practicing a new skill or even feeling a certain emotion, the brain learns and memorizes this skill or emotion as if we were practicing or experiencing it in real life.

Sports masters use this technique all the time.

There are two types of visualization: Process Visualization, during which we imagine ourselves executing the desired skills or behavior, and Outcome Visualization, during which we imagine the emotions we will experience once we achieve our goal.

Practicing visualization

Below are the steps you should take when practicing visualization.

1. Determine the skill or behavior you want to excel in. This could be improving your communication skills, enhancing your presence, acting with assertiveness and courage, etc.

2. Write a script with you as the main star of a movie acting out this behavior or skill.

3. Your script should be as real as possible. It should include all the sights, sounds, and even smells involved in the situation. It should be as detailed as possible. Describe every single move you will make, your clothes, the clothes of the other players, their facial expressions, etc.

4. Your script should also include the emotions you will feel as you execute your behavior or skill as well as how you will feel once you have successfully completed executing it. For example include in the script how wonderful you will feel after delivering a great talk to a large audience.

5. Once you have your script ready, practice visualizing it daily for about 20 minutes, for a few weeks. Practice it with your eyes closed, at a time and a place where you will not be disturbed.

6. Gradually you will  notice that your proficiency and confidence in executing the behavior or skill in real life, is improving significantly.

In this module you will learn:

a. How visualizations work

b. How to script an effective visualization

c. How to practice your visualization