How to Visualize

Co-authored by Sydney Axelrod

Last Updated: November 2, 2022 References Approved

Visualization is a motivational technique which can help you achieve personal goals. If you really want something to come to fruition, then you have to put your imaginative mind to work. See the result in front of you, play the game you are going to play in your mind, or watch yourself accepting your degree at college. The only limit is your own mind. Visualization is also a useful mental skill which allows you to picture an image or scenario not immediately in front of your eyes.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Visualizing Your Goals

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Visualize the activity, event, or result desired. According to certified life coach Sydney Axelrod, it's important to get clear on what you want from your goals.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source
American Psychological Association
Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists
Go to source} Close your eyes and picture a goal that you have in mind.^{[2]
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Research source} Let’s say you want to envision that you get a promotion at work. Imagine your brand new office with your name in gold-emblazoned letters on the door. Imagine the black, swivel chair behind your huge mahogany desk. Imagine the Renoir reproduction between your diplomas.
- Once you cover the big stuff, get smaller. Get down to the dust in the corners and the residue of the coffee in your mug. The way the light hits the carpeting as it peeks through the slats in the blinds.
- Axelrod suggests thinking of the reason behind the goals you're setting, which can help keep you motivated.^{[3]
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  Trustworthy Source
  American Psychological Association
  Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists
  Go to source} For instance, if your goal is "I want to lose 10 lb (4.5 kg)," your reasons might be "I want to feel stronger," or "I want to be healthier."^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Sydney Axelrod
  Certified Life Coach
  Expert Interview. 30 June 2020.}
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Visualize with optimistic, positive thoughts. Certified life coach Sydney Axelrod agrees that while it's normal to have self-doubts, it's better to reframe them in a more productive light.^{[5]
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Research source} Nothing is going to improve when you feel lousy about yourself and your chances in life. So, instead of thinking, “I’m terrible at basketball; there’s no way I’ll improve,” think something like, “I’m not great now, but I’ll be much better in 6 months.” Then visualize yourself sinking some 3-point shots or dunking on the competition.^{[6]
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Greater Good in Action
An initiative by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center promoting science-based practices for a meaningful life
Go to source}
- Visualization is sort of like hypnosis: if you don’t think it’ll work, it won’t. Thinking positively is the first step to making sure this visualization is actually effective. It’s the first step to making these desires a part of real life.
- Remember that life is just as much about the journey you take to reach your goals as it is about the destination you have in mind. Visualization can make the process of reaching your goal more enjoyable by keeping you focused and motivated, making it a positive addition to your life.
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Move your visualization into the real world. After you have spent a moment, or a few days, visualizing your goal, make changes in your life to bring the goal about. Right before you perform the activity, task, or event that will achieve an outcome or an outcome toward your goal, focus clearly on the picture of the action you are about to make. Even if it’s something intangible like “make more money” and it’s applicable to the everyday, it can be used before going to work or each business possibility.^{[7]
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
U.S. government agency whose mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
Go to source}
- For example, if you are trying to hit a baseball, picture hitting it clearly in your mind, stroke by stroke, at the right height and the right speed. Watch the ball being hit by your bat, flying through the air and landing wherever it is meant to land. Visualize the experience with all of your senses: hear the approaching ball, hear and feel the impact, and smell the grass.
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Think about a chain of events needed to achieve your goal. Certified life coach Sydney Axelrod agrees that big changes in your life take time and focus, and comprise a number of small steps. If you’re visualizing attaining a specific goal or end-point, imagine how you would get there. Try to make each step as specific, achievable, and actionable as possible.^{[8]
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Research source} So, if you want to be president, imagine aspects of your political career: running your campaign, attending fundraisers, meeting political bigwigs, and delivering your first speech.
- How would the version of yourself that you’re visualizing handle these situations?
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Visualize the personality traits needed to get you where you want to be. It’s not enough to want to be the vice-president of the company you work for. You need to think about the qualities that will assist you in getting there.^{[9]
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Trustworthy Source
US Department of Labor
Federal department responsible for promoting the wellbeing of workers
Go to source} Visualize not only the vice-presidency but also the skills of open communication, persuasiveness, sharing, listening, discussing, deflecting criticism with skill and respect, etc.
- Imagine yourself acting in the way that you’re visualizing. So, if you realize that a vice-president needs to have confidence in their work performance, visualize yourself acting with confidence around the office.
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Use affirmative phrases to motivate yourself. Pictures are great, but words work well, too. If you see a healthier, fitter you, lounging around in the branch manager office at your job, say to yourself, “I have the body I dream of. I am getting healthier and it feels great.” If you want to get better at baseball, tell yourself something like, “I see the ball. I hit it with such force that it’s knocked out of the park.”
- You can repeat this kind of phrase to yourself as many times as you need. Just make sure you believe it!
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Visualize while you’re calm, focused, and comfortable. Visualization only works when you are calm, at ease, and willing to give yourself time to focus in peace, free from immediate worries. Visualization is a technique very close to meditation, only it is more active and vivid. In visualization you are encouraged to think actively about the possibilities, but as with meditation, you must leave aside anything extraneous to your dreams and goals and only focus on them.
- If you can, make yourself comfortable when you visualize. Having very few distractions will make this process a lot easier. It’ll help you think more relaxed, too, when less is going on around you.
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Imagine yourself overcoming setbacks. Obstacles are a normal part of life, and no one reaches success without first encountering failure. Know that you will make mistakes, but remember that you can overcome them. How you bounce back after a setback is more important than the fact that you made a mistake in the first place.
- Ask yourself daily, "What can I do today to make myself better tomorrow?"
- A great resource for learning how to overcome setbacks is the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Refining Your Technique

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Give visualizing some time to feel normal and produce results. At the very beginning, this visualization thing may feel pretty frou-frou, if you will.^{[10]
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Research source} It’ll feel weird and it’ll feel foreign. You have to push past that! It does go away. At the beginning it’s natural to feel uncomfortable being consumed by this dream world, but it’s just a phase. If it doesn’t feel a little funny, you’re probably not doing it right.
- This is only remedied by practice, that’s all. There’s no other key than time. As with anything, there’s a learning curve. It’ll only seem steep if you don’t commit. Let yourself go and it’ll go away! You’re the only obstacle to your visualization success.
- Over time, visualization can activate your brain in the same way that actually doing the activity can. Your brain may not even be able to tell the difference! For example, if you are afraid to sing in front of a crowd, you can imagine yourself doing it. This tricks your brain into thinking that you've done it, making it easier to get up and sing in front of others the next time you have the opportunity.^{[11]
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Focus on long-term goals. Anybody who wants change overnight will be disappointed. Instead, plan to make realization of your hopes and dreams long term. Visualize where you will be in 5, 10 and 15 years and the sorts of outcomes you want. How will your situation be different and how will you be different? Allow yourself to imagine what that life will be like.^{[12]
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- For example, it’s helpful to visualize going to bed earlier or taking a jog at night. But visualizing can also help you achieve more substantial goals. For example, visualize what kind of parent you want to be, the legacy you’ll leave your children, and the kind of person you’ll be when they’re growing up.
- Visualize what you want to achieve as a human being and what legacies you will leave your friends and community.
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Create a vision board to remind you of the life you want. This will help you visualize your goals on a regular basis. To make a vision board, post a collection of photos and words that represent your future goals. That way, you can look at them every day to stay motivated as you pursue the life you want.^{[13]
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- For example, if your goal is to open a restaurant, you could include photos of restaurants you want to model yours after, as well as dishes you will serve. You might also include photos of people happily enjoying a meal.
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Think in the affirmative about your goals. When it comes to visualization or just positive thinking, you need to think affirmatively about what you want to achieve. Zeroing in on “not being poor” isn’t exactly helpful. So instead of not wanting something or not being something or not having something, focus on what you do want, what you are, or what you have. For example, consider statements like: “I want financial security,” or “I have the guts to move across the country.”^{[14]
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- Think actively and in the present tense, too. If you are visualizing yourself not smoking anymore, don’t recite the mantra, “I will try to quit.” Think along the lines of, “Cigarettes are disgusting. I don’t want them. They do nothing for me.”
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Be realistic about the goals you visualize. Certified life coach Sydney Axelrod agrees that setting manageable goals is key.^{[15]
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Research source} Having an all-or-nothing mentality is no good; if you feel like you have to do something perfectly, it can hold you back from even getting started. Instead, focus on doing the best you can, and be clear on how you're going to bounce back if you do make a mistake.
- If you’re a boxer and you’re trying to visualize your next match and you absolutely dominating, it’s not going to do you any good picturing yourself as Muhammad Ali. You’ll just end up in the ring not living up to the standards you set for yourself. You’ll end up frustrated and exhausted with yourself.
- Instead, imagine your swings like the best swings you’ve ever had. Imagine your opponent as that bag in the gym that you pummel on a daily basis. Imagine your coach shouting praise as you give the best performance of your career.
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Visualize from your own first-person perspective. This will help your visualizations feel more real, tangible, and achievable. Don’t picture your future successes and goals as a movie—your visualizations should be from your own perspective.^{[16]
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Research source} In your visualizations, you are not the audience. This is your stage and your time to shine.
- For example, if you’re visualizing your future career as a doctor, don’t think of it from the perspective of a patient you’re treating or a colleague across the room. Instead, visualize yourself treating a patient: imagine the stethoscope in your hands, etc.
- This is what it means to fully visualize. It is a reality as if seen through your very own eyes. You’re not having some sort of out of body experience; it’s the future.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Can I visualize more than one goal at a time?

Paul Chernyak, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Paul Chernyak is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Chicago. He graduated from the American School of Professional Psychology in 2011.

Paul Chernyak, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Expert Answer

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Yes, you can. It's a good idea to create different vision boards to represent your different goals. Take time to focus on each goal individually, separating out your visualization efforts.
Question

How to visualize for a better future for my family?

Paul Chernyak, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Paul Chernyak is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Chicago. He graduated from the American School of Professional Psychology in 2011.

Paul Chernyak, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Expert Answer

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First, imagine what a better future for your family might look like. What does it mean to you? For example, would you have your own home? Does your vision include a new vehicle? Would you have your dream job? Identify what you want to improve your family's future, then direct your visualization efforts to those goals.
Question

How do I motivate myself towards my goals?

Sydney Axelrod
Certified Life Coach
Sydney Axelrod is a certified life coach and the owner of Sydney Axelrod LLC, a life coaching business focused on professional and personal development. Through one-on-one coaching, digital courses, and group workshops, Sydney works with clients to discover their purpose, navigate life transitions, and set and accomplish goals. Sydney has over 1,000 hours of relevant coaching certifications and holds a BBA in Marketing and Finance from Emory University.

Sydney Axelrod

Certified Life Coach

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Try using affirmations and mantras—it can be really helpful to remind yourself throughout the day that you are good enough and you can reach your goals. You can even have a visual cue that can remind you of your goals, like a piece of jewelry that you wear.