3 Visualization Techniques for Success at Any Goal

Visualization is one of the most powerful tools you can use in order to accomplish any goal you set for yourself. The benefits of visualizing your goals have been studied for decades, and researchers are increasingly coming to view it as an essential tool for success.

Done correctly, visualization works because it is based on The Law of Attraction. When you visualize your goal, you create the thoughts and energy necessary that will help to pull that goal towards you.

However, simply thinking of your aim may not be enough, because the key point is to combine the thought of your goal, with the emotion of how achieving that goal makes you feel. The Law of Attraction works by aligning your emotions to your goals. Any visualization technique for success must be based on this principle.

You can read more about using this law for manifestation, or proceed straight to the exercises below.

Easy, Step by Step Visualization Exercises

While there are many ways to work with visualization, from clear goal-setting, writing lists, using positive affirmations, and becoming the energy of your desire, the following three exercises are based on meditation.

For each, simply find 10-15 minutes you can take for yourself in a quiet space. Sit comfortably, and begin by centering your attention on your breath. As you do, your mind will begin to relax. Then, begin the exercise.

Technique #1: Seeing Yourself Achieving Your Goals

The first exercise involves seeing yourself achieving your goals.

One of the best ways to work with this idea is to think about following your highest excitement. If you have set good goals, your goals should feel invigorating, empowering, and exciting.

Tap into this enthusiasm by feeling into what it would be like for you to achieve your goal. Vividly imagine yourself as having just accomplished the goal, or in the act of accomplishing it.

For example, if your goal is to get a promotion at work, imagine what it would feel like for your boss to call you into the office and praise you for all of your hard work. Imagine him or her telling you how you are a valuable member of the team and you deserve to be rewarded with the promotion.

Take the time to walk yourself through every detail of the conversation, using a combination of knowns and unknowns. For example, you know what his office looks like and what his voice sounds like, so use these details to make the visualization crystal clear. You also know how you would feel to experience this conversation, so incorporate the feeling of achievement, success, and excitement into the visualization as well.

When you have clarified as many known details as you can, continue on to the unknowns. You don’t know exactly what words he will say, but allow your imagination to run with whatever ideas come, and walk yourself through the conversation as if you were reviewing a memory, rather than creating a future event.

Technique #2: Telling Your Future Story

The next technique is similar insofar as it also requires you to imagine having already accomplished your goal.

For this exercise, however, you can tell yourself a story about how you achieved the goal, and the entire process you went through to get to that moment.

This can be a particularly powerful technique to use if you currently feel like you aren’t making a lot of progress towards your aim. You can envision the ‘future you’ that has already achieved the goal, and listen to the story about how you overcame the difficulty you’re currently facing.

For this technique, it helps to tell a story that includes events that are in your past, your current circumstances, and an idea of future events that may happen before you reach your goal.

For example, if you’re currently struggling through an obstacle, include the story of how you overcame that obstacle, and as soon as you had a new realization, the ‘impossible’ problem evaporated quickly and your path towards your goal became easier and more enjoyable.

Technique #3: Imagining Your Higher Self

Lastly, you can use a visualization technique to imagine your higher self. By “higher self,” I mean a future, more enlightened version of you.

You can think of this self as the ‘you’ that always acts with the highest integriy, strongest compassion, and powerful fortitude. It is your ideal version of yourself.

For this exercise, simply imagine going through your day from this higher perspective. When challenges arise, you know how the ideal you would respond, and you don’t find yourself trapped in the same ruts you currently do. This higher version of you thinks your current problems are easy to deal with, and has more exciting and invigorating challenges to work with.

This technique can be especially powerful whenever you feel like your goal is impossible or out of reach. When your goal feels overwhelming or unrealistic, it can difficult to regain the original excitement you once held for it, so working with an idea of who you could be, rather than the specific circumstance you want to achieve can be extremely helpful in releasing negative energy and building positive momentum towards your goal.

Using Visualization with Goal-Setting

Using these three techniques can go a long way towards achieving any goal that you set for yourself.

As I mentioned earlier, visualization is a fundamental tool for success. The most important part of any visualization exercise is to build positive energy by feeling into the emotions behind why you want to achieve the goal in the first place.

When you can focus on the excitement of knowing the goal is already accomplished, you shift your attention away from whatever obstacles you’re currently facing, and bring your goals closer to you.