What You See Is What You Get!

Dr Gill Appleton and I were talking yesterday. She was telling me about her grandson, James. She is very proud that he has been placed 5^th overall in the National Go-Carting Championships. “Of course,” said Gill, “this isn’t surprising. For quite some time now he has had a caricature of himself on his bedroom wall - in a go-cart and wearing a number 5 on his suit. We’ll need to get him a winning picture to encourage him even more or a positive picture for him to focus on…”

It is vital that we focus very clearly and very specifically on what we want; because visual imprinting and programming works without us even being aware of it. Just think about the the powerful advertising campaigns that have influenced you in the past.

For many years we tried to encourage our son, Kyle to stop smoking. We adopted all the tried and test methods popular with parents – bribery, inducement, physical threats and restriction of privileges! All to no avail…as Kyle was happy to see himself as a smoker.

Kyle then accepted work in Gibraltar and left home…and as he did so he stopped smoking! We set about totally refurbishing his old bedroom, I had declared that a government health warning ought to be posted on his room as it was a disgrace. Little or no cleaning had been carried out there in the previous months and years. As we stripped it out I peeled a tobacco tinged poster from the back of the door and in a flash I thought…gosh no wonder he never stopped smoking in here... every morning he would see these words... "Don't Quit!" in big black bold print (the title of the poem!)

Science hasn't fully explained how or why visualization works. But the fact that it does is enough for most major air forces in the world to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in flight simulators. Frankly, if you're aiming to achieve a major goal, who cares if you know how or why visualisation works - just that it does! So if you are aiming for a big goal then remember the amazing power of visualisation. If you want a deluxe holiday you need to see specific photos of your holiday destination every day, so pin them up on your notice board. If you want a new car then get a precise picture on the fridge door; or carry a copy in your wallet. Remember to be very specific…if you want to own a brand new Mercedes ‘C’ Class then ensure that you display the correct make, model and colour of car so that you get exactly what you want! And put a purchase date on the picture too.

At the side of my computer there is a post card of Dubai. It is dated May 2005. It actually took me to the spring of 2007 to go there with UKTI. Does that matter to me? Not in the slightest as I am convinced that if I had not had a vision to explore options in Dubai in my mind in the first place, I would probably not have a business developing there at all.

Brian Tracy says that, "All improvement in your life begins with an improvement in your mental pictures. Your mental pictures act as a guidance mechanism that causes you to act in ways that make your mental pictures come true in your life."

Let’s go mental…cos what we see is what we get!