17 Visualization Techniques to Reach Your Goals

How to Practice Visualization

To start practicing visualization, you must get really clear about your goals and the timeframe you want to achieve them. Start by writing down all the things you want to achieve in life and then choose your top desires from this list on which to focus your attention. These goals can be as big as becoming a famous author or a celebrity to traveling to your dream city or meeting the love of your life. Whatever your goals are, it is important to have a really clear picture of what you desire.

Next, go down the list one-by-one and consider what it would be like to achieve each goal. Visualize success and what it feels like. What will you be wearing? How will you feel? Who will be with you? What do you hope you will experience? Engage all of the senses and visualize the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings present in this moment. Savor it. You can then create physical representations or images to keep you on track toward your goals. Visualization is in the focused attention rather than the doing so being sure to focus your attention regularly on the thing you want to achieve is key.

17 Visualization Techniques

The visualization techniques below offer various methods of practicing for different kinds of personalities and desires. Choose the techniques that work best for you and practice it daily. If you skip a day or so of practicing, don’t beat yourself up. Visualization should be a fun process of working toward your goals. Every effort counts!

1. Create a Vision Board

A staple of visualization practices is to create a physical representation of your dreams and aspirations. A vision board is essentially a collage or picture board of your goal made from magazine cut-outs, Pinterest images or drawings of your goal. This fun and creative method allows for your imagination to run wild with what images inspire you the most. You can simply cut and paste the images on a large poster board in any manner you like, then hang it in a place you will see daily.

2. Imagine Your Happy Place

On your way to your goals, it’s important to manage stress and be grateful for your ability to create peace now. For this visualization technique you’ll essentially imagine the experiences of your five senses in a place that makes you happy. Immerse yourself in this experience and watch as calm washes over you. It can be a great way to de-stress before getting yourself into goal-setting mode.

3. Mental Rehearsal

Prepare your mind to accept the positive outcomes of your visualization by imagining yourself as if you’ve already achieved your goal. What does it feel like to have made it to your destination? Imagine what you will see, feel, taste, smell and experience in the moment. The clearer you become of this moment, the more your brain will accept it as something you can and are worthy of accomplishing. Rehearse this regularly.

4. Create A Success Map

Create a detailed map of the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. This physical representation of individual goals can help you outline concrete steps and mini-goals you’ll want to accomplish on your way to the bigger goal you envision for yourself.

5. Write A Letter From Your Future Self

Picture yourself as the future version of yourself as if you have already achieved your goal. Write a letter from this perspective describing your life. Have fun with this and enjoy elaborating on what you’re up to, who’s in your life and what your day-to-day experiences are like. This exercise will get you into the mindset of success and motivate your actions toward achieving your goals.

6. Draw Your Goals

If you have a knack for the artistic, you can paint or draw to help visualize your goals. Again, having a physical representation can solidify your desires and serve as a daily reminder of what you are working to achieve.

7. Imagine Yourself as Someone You Respect

To do this technique, picture a person who represents the goals you want to achieve. It can be someone whose career you want to emulate, or someone who you respect who represents the lifestyle you want. Now imagine yourself as them. What actions would they take today? How would they brush their teeth, move throughout their workday, talk to others and treat themselves? Use this as a guide to visualize the experience you desire for your future.

8. Write A ”Dream Check”

If you have monetary goals, pull out your checkbook and write a goal amount on the check that your future self can cash for yourself. Place the check somewhere you can see daily. The idea is that seeing this check frequently will inspire you to save money and build wealth.

9. Affirmations

Affirmations essentially affirm your experience from the perspective of already having achieved your goal. Positive affirmations are verbal and mental statements that you repeat or listen to regularly and can positively impact your thinking by putting you in the mindset of your future accomplished self. You’ll want to use “I” statements when creating your affirmations or choose affirmation recordings that resonate with your goals.

10. Visualization Triggers

You can create sensory cues that help you remember your goals and put you in the mindset of your visualization. Some ideas for this are to create a playlist that puts you in the mood of your future self after you’ve achieved your goals. Or creating a reminder on your phone to spend time daily on the tasks you need to achieve your goals.

11. Meditation

An effective way to focus on your goals is to find a quiet, uninterrupted time and place to meditate on them. Get comfortable and close your eyes. Notice your breathing pattern. Bring your mind to the goals you wish to achieve. Focus your thoughts on the feeling of having achieved them, the process of working toward your goals and the experiences you want to have once you have achieved them.

12. Journal

Grab a pen and paper and use the prompts below to visualize your goals through journaling. Journaling will help you get really clear on what you want to achieve and any internal processes or physical obstacles blocking you from getting what you want or living in that mindset. There are journaling apps if you prefer to use your phone or computer.

A few motivating journal prompts include:

• How would a dream day in my life go?
• What is holding me back from pursuing the next steps toward my goals?
• Where do I imagine myself living when I achieve my goal?
• What have I accomplished already toward my goal?
• What can I do today to progress toward my goal?

13. Track Your Goals On Index Cards

The goal of this exercise is to help you visualize achieving each goal and also to have a visual representative to help you track each goal you accomplish. To do this, get your index cards and writing utensils and write each of your goals on separate index cards. Pin them up on a board and each time you complete a goal, move that goal to the “completed” column. You can get really creative with this and add other columns like “in progress,” “next up” or whatever titles work for you.

14. Change Desires Into Beliefs

Although less concrete than many of the other techniques mentioned, this is a powerful mindset shift in visualization that can make a big difference. Instead of wishing for your future goals to become true, imagine you have already achieved it and live from the experience of a person with that mindset. For example, you may not have the financial situation you desire yet, but with the money you have, imagine it is more than enough and be grateful for your abundance. Shifting your mindset is a crucial step in achieving the life you want to live.

15. Picture a Happy Memory From Your Past

When you find it difficult to imagine your future successful self, it can sometimes be helpful to imagine a moment of happiness or success from your past. Immerse yourself in the sensory experience of that moment and visualize your emotions, thoughts and attitude in that moment. Try to bring that experience into your future self and update the experience to fit the content of the achievements you want to make then.

16. Visualize Multiple Potential Options

You’ll usually want to visualize one goal at a time. However, sometimes visualizing everything that could happen on your way toward achieving your goal can be helpful in working through potential obstacles, preparing yourself for the flood of positive emotions that may accompany achievement and grounding yourself in the essence of who you are regardless of what you achieve. Definitely avoid spending too long on potential negative outcomes, but allow yourself to refocus on the positive outcomes throughout.

17. Write a Vision Statement

Writing a clear and concise statement about your goal and future self can help you carry your vision with you as you go through your day. To craft a vision statement you’ll want to get clear on why you want to achieve what you want to achieve and follow the steps below.

To write a vision statement:

• Understand why you want to achieve your goals
• Write down what words come to mind when you think of your future
• Write out your statement with a maximum of three core ideas
• Edit your statement for clarity. Make it clean and concise.
• Put your vision statement somewhere you’ll see frequently. Talk about it. Share it and keep saying it to yourself.

Continuing Your Self-Improvement Journey Through Therapy

Visualization exercises are an excellent tool for self-improvement, but we can all use help on our journeys towards self-actualization. All of the positive thinking in the world is not a replacement for professional help, and working toward your goals is something that either a life coach or therapist can help with.

Sometimes on your journey you may find you face anxiety, depression, or any number of symptoms showing you that it’s time to take care of your mental health. If you’re in that place now, check out the best online therapy options and the online therapist directory to help you get through this time of your life. Achieving your goals is great, but achieving mental health on your way to your goals will make the reward so much sweeter.