Visualization Techniques – This is Why You Need to Do it in Your Head First

May 2018

Just give me a moment before we get to today’s post, I’m practicing some visualization techniques. I’m visualizing you sitting there on your smartphone or computer about to read this blog post; you seem to have a lot of energy. Clearly, you have really taken your self-improvement game to the next level by reading Prime Your Pump. I am also visualizing something else…

You know what?

Let me stop there, we will conclude my visualization a little later. As for today’s post, it is about the power of using visualization techniques and how you can use them to improve your life like you wouldn’t believe!

To explain the power of visualization, let’s you and I jump in a time machine and travel back to the late 1960’s! Do me a favor and move over, my fat ass is having a hard time fitting in this cramped time machine!

5-4-3-2-1…let’s go!

Now, Let’s Imagine for a Moment…

That you are a U.S. air force colonel fighting in Vietnam and all-of-a-sudden, your plane is shot down and you are captured by the enemy. You will spend the next 7½ years living in a P.O.W. camp. The conditions are so horrible that you will lose over 100 pounds. I also need to mention that you will be unable to play your favorite game – golf. FYI in case you forgot, you are an avid golfer and a very good one at that – you have a handicap of 4!

Finally, after 7½ years, you are released. Yes! One of the first things you do is to step on a golf course to play the game you love!

Despite not playing for so long, you amazingly shoot a 76!

That’s right! After 7½ years of not touching a golf club and losing over 100 pounds, you shoot to your handicap!

Sound impossible?

It’s not, It’s a true story. It is the story of Col. George Hall, a pilot and avid golfer who was shot down during the war in Vietnam.

How did he do it? The answer in a minute…

This concludes our journey back in time.

Please watch your step as we disembark the PYP time machine and come back to the present. Thanks for being such a good travel buddy. We need to do that again sometime.

Simulate This!

Before we learn how George did it, let’s quickly jump to the world of business. No time machine is needed for this journey.

Have you ever heard of computer modeling and simulation?

Without getting into too much detail, computer modeling and simulation is when you take a real-world issue and mimic it using a computer. This allows you to test out different scenarios and optimize the issue on a computer before implementing it in real life.

Some Examples of Computer Modeling and Simulation

Let’s explore a couple examples so you understand what I’m talking about:

Starbucks, and many restaurants – Use computer simulation to optimize the number of customers it can serve while minimizing the wait time. How? By creating a computer model of its stores and then inputting various types of data scenarios such as the number of customers, how often they arrive, what they order, the number of baristas, etc. Doing this allows them to staff properly based on customer demand as well as order the correct number of supplies, while optimizing the store layout amongst other factors for example.

Pilots – Now think about flight simulators. Pilots can take virtual flights from airports around the world under all sorts of weather conditions. That way when they do it in real life, they are better prepared, as they have already done it many times.

How Did George Do It?

Ok, back to George. You are probably wondering how he did it, or maybe you have already figured it out. In any event, if I told you that he used simulation and modeling you would probably respond with “No way! What are you talking about? That time travel did a number on your brain! They only had very basic computer simulation back in the 60’s!”

Actually…he used something just as or more powerful than a computer.

That’s right, he used his brain!!

You see, while he was in the P.O.W. camp ‘ol George played golf every day – in his mind! Yup, he mentally played a round of 18 holes every day, shot by shot, hole by hole. He used…visualization techniques. Then when he stepped on the course after 7½ years, boom, it was like he played yesterday. Which, he did – just not on an actual golf course.

Another Great Story…

There was a Russian named Natan Sharansky, who spent 9 years in prison after being accused of spying for the U.S. While in prison he said to himself ‘screw it, while I’m in here let me get so good at chess that I can beat the world champion’. Ok, he didn’t say it in exactly those words, but you get my point. Long story short, he got out in 1996 and beat world champion Garry Kasparov. How did he do it? You guessed it, he played chess over and over in his mind while in solitary confinement – he too used visualization techniques!

Why It Works?

According to Psychology Today , “Brain studies now reveal that thoughts produce the same mental instructions as actions. Mental imagery impacts many cognitive processes in the brain: motor control, attention, perception, planning, and memory. So, the brain is getting trained for actual performance during visualization. It’s been found that mental practices can enhance motivation, increase confidence and self-efficacy, improve motor performance, prime your brain for success, and increase states of flow – all relevant to achieving your best life!”

Use it Or Lose It – How to Implement Visualization Techniques in Your Life

Lucky for you, you don’t have to be a P.O.W. or incarcerated to use the visualization techniques that George or Natan used in their respective situations, you just need to do this:

Close your eyes

Get yourself in the situation you are going to be in by creating a mental picture of it.

Engage as many of your senses as possible.

Make it as realistic as possible. Who is there? How do you feel? What do you smell/hear/feel?

Now keep replaying it over and over. Feel and experience yourself doing it correctly repeatedly.

Perform this practice often. You can even perform it alongside meditation if you want.

Put it into action in real life and experience the success you have already visualized!

When to Use It:

You can use visualization techniques in many areas of your life, such as:

Public speaking.

Any athletic event – many athletes use visualization techniques. Tiger Woods has been using it since he was a young golfer.

Tough conversations you are going to have.

Situations at work.

Playing chess or any other game.

Lifting weights – this study shows that mental practices are almost just as effective as doing it physically and that doing both is even better than doing either alone.

What Do You Think?

Have you used visualization techniques in your life? Please share how you used them below in the comments. If you haven’t, can you think of any examples of where you might try to use them?

Back to My Visualization!

Before we go, I need to finish my visualization, if you don’t mind. I left off with you starting to read this blog post. My visualization continues with you finishing this post and being extremely entertained along the way! After getting over your slight case of vertigo from our time travel, you begin to use visualization in your life with great success.

Bang! (pun intended) – you even use it to have the best sex of your life! ‘Do it before you do it’ is your rallying cry! You are preaching to the choir my friend, you are preaching to the choir…

Until next time, keep visualizing, keep ‘doing it’ and as always…PYMFP!

-Rick

P.S. I forgot to mention one more thing in my visualization – after reading this blog post, you immediately shared it on your favorite social media platform via the various sharing buttons below. You also signed up for our weekly blog post summary below, if you already haven’t!

Thanks, we here at PYP appreciate it – much love!

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