the definition is “the formation of a mental image of something.” Before we can get what we want in life it all starts with a thought. We have a picture in our mind of what we want. Then we may need to take action to reach our goal. For the important things we want and our goals, I believe we all need to also keep recreating the vision in our hearts and minds.

You can use visualization for big life goals. On the Oprah Winfrey Show actor Jim Carrey described how he used creative visualization and abundance checks. He was poor in childhood and went from being broke to earning millions of dollars per movie. Oprah herself is a big fan of visualizing major goals. Let’s say your general goal is to get stronger. Studies with weight lifers have shown clear increased gains in strength when visualizing stronger muscles was combined with actual strength training.

You can use visualization for specific future events. This technique is often used in sports. For decades seasoned athletes have use detailed internal images and run-throughs of their entire performance. World Champion Golfer, Jack Nicklaus said “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head.” Dancers can benefit from seeing their routines in their minds before an important performance. I feel more relaxed when I remember to do this also with physical practice.

Let’s say your larger goal does not come to pass. I feel I am the project manager of my own project, my life. I am also a part of a larger project plan for the Universe. I don’t know what the master project manager of the Universe is also working on. I don’t know what is going on with the master plan for billions of other projects She/He controls. So sometimes I don’t get things on my project timeline (there is a saying Rome wasn’t built in a day) and sometimes I don’t get them at all.

Some ways to implement visualization for large goals include creating a vision board or vision cards. You can spend even five minutes a day imagining in vivid details what you want. For extra credit imagine how you will feel when you have this wonderful new thing. It can also help to let go of the details of how you get this awesome thing, let the project manager of the Universe handle that part. Even if I don’t get the exact thing I want I enjoy the visualization process.