Visualization and Self-Esteem

I used to be somewhat skeptical about visualization, but I have come to believe that it can be an effective tool for achieving goals. Effective visualization is related to what we know about the brain and self-esteem. Recently I was reading what Brian Tracey had to say about visualization, and it once again struck me how closely the success of visualization is related to how much self-esteem one has.

Tracey breaks down visualization into four parts. The first part is frequency, the number of times that you visualize a particular goal as achieved or of yourself performing in an excellent way in a particular event or circumstance. Higher frequency increases the chance of achieving what you’re imagining.

The second part is the duration of the mental image, the length of time that you can hold the picture in your mind each time you replay it. The longer you hold the image, the more effective as it is more deeply ingrained.

The third part is vividness. The more clearly you see what you want the more quickly you will get what you want.

The fourth part is intensity, the amount of emotion that you attach to your visual image. In reality, this is the most important and powerful part of the visualization process.

Here is where your self-esteem comes into play. You cannot visualize anything with intensity unless you believe you can do it, and for that it is essential to have high self-esteem. What we believe is what we achieve. And low self-esteem can get you want you do not want, as you intensely believe and visualize that you cannot get what you want. Visualization is a two edged sword!

Your brain is the most powerful simulator in the world. If you practice thoughts, actions, and attitudes that support high self-esteem, you can visualize and achieve your desires.