Tweet

Create a Vivid Mental Image of Your Success

Guest post by: Bud Bilanich

Article Overview: Successful people define what success means to them. Then they develop a compelling and clear mental image of their success. They use this mental image to help keep their dreams alive and to keep moving forward to what they want in their lives and careers. Creating a vivid mental image of your success is not day dreaming. It's real work -- it's the work of designing your future, so you can take the steps necessary to create it.

Create a Vivid Mental Image of Your Success

To develop your personal clarity or purpose you need to do three things. First, define what success means to you. Second, create a vivid mental image of you as a success. Third, clarify your personal values. Once you define what success means to you personally, I suggest that you develop a clear mental picture of you as a success. This image should be as vivid as you can you make it.

When I was 25, I conjured up an image of myself as a successful motivational speaker, executive coach, management consultant and author. I worked in my home office -- where I wrote and developed the programs I delivered at client locations. This office had a floor to ceiling wall of books that I could use for easy reference. It also had a state of the art IBM selectric typewriter and a big, clunky telephone. PCs and the internet were science fiction in 1975.

I also saw myself having one to one discussions with senior leaders in a variety of organizations, conducting training and team building sessions in conference rooms at their locations. Amazingly, many of the people in the sessions were smoking. I had very vivid images of standing in front of large audiences at sales meetings doing talks. I saw myself signing a book I had written at a bookstore. I also saw myself on airplanes, traveling to my speaking, coaching and consulting gigs.

All of these vivid images came true. My office is much as I had imagined it -- except it has a two PCs and cell phone, not a Selectric typewriter and clunky phone. The wall of books is there -- overflowing. I've written 11 of the books on the shelf. People don't smoke in my training and team building sessions anymore and I use PowerPoint instead of handwritten flip charts, but the big stuff is the same as I've imagined it. I've spoken to audiences all over North America, in Latin America, Europe and Asia. I am a million mile flyer with Continental Air Lines.

I'm living my dream -- in large part because I dared to dream it all those years ago.

What's your dream? Can you create a vivid mental image of it?

I suggest that you take some time for yourself. Ask and answer these three questions:

• Where do I want to be 10, 20 and 30 years from now?

• What will it look like and feel like when I'm there?

• What will my life be like?

Ask and answer any other questions that will help you develop a clear, vivid mental image of your success. This is not day dreaming. It is real work. You are designing your future in your mind.

Keep this mental picture with you as you go about your day to day business. Every once in a while, ask yourself if what you did that day brought you any closer to your mental image of success. In this way, you'll be keeping your dream alive -- and moving toward your goal.

The common sense point here is simple. Successful people define what success means to them. Then they develop a compelling and clear mental image of their success. They use this mental image to help keep their dreams alive and to keep moving forward to what they want in their lives and careers. Creating a vivid mental image of your success is not day dreaming. It's real work -- it's the work of designing your future, so you can take the steps necessary to create it.

Related Articles
  Success Comes From Living Your Purpose
  Create Your Success by Acting on Your Vision
  Clarity of Purpose and Direction -- the First Step Toward Success
  How to Improve Your Imagination
  Successful People Create Their Dream and Make it a Reality

Article Tags: Designing your Future, Dream, Motivation, Success, Values, Work
Referred by: http://www.jimbouchard.org



Related Forum Posts
Re: What or Who Sparks Your Business Interest - It's interesting to see what the different motivations are by Age Category. I've noticed this around me: 20 to 29yr olds: Motivator: Money 30 to 39yr olds: Motivator: Success/Ambition 40 to 49yr olds: Motivator: Family comes first 50 to 59yr olds: Motivator: Leaving a legacy i've only gone that far in my analysis. Of course this is a braid generalization but I find that it helps direct my marketing to individuals in different age brackets. The product/service can be the same but the Marketing message (Benefit Statement) to a 20 year will revolve around "Money" vs. a 30-something would be on their "Self Image"
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Success = Thinking (Head) + Heart (Feeling / Interest) + Hand (doing/ action). Success - H3 Robert
Gardening reduces stress - Hi Anon, In my case I think that my physical health does suffer - and I am pretty sure I am not doing a great job taking care of it. Finding the time to exercise seems impossible. The more probably reality is that I dislike going to a gym so it just isn't important enough for me to find the time. Mental health is different - I try to purposely set aside some time each week to recharge a little, sometimes it's a simple as going into my backyard and doing some gardening. Dead-heading flowers for about half an hour is pretty much stress free. If I really need a break I go to my cottage for the weekend - no cable, no internet and no phone.
Rich Schefren on Business Systems Video - Bigjim, 1. Create a systemized business 2. build accountability into your team 3. document your processes
OT: A pocket coinholder - Many years ago, I picked up a pocket coinholder. Coin carrier - I'm not sure of the correct term. I think I may have gotten it through Sharper Image, but actually I'm not sure where I got it. But I loved it. It was a small black plastic square, with four spring-loaded columns so you could stack a certan number of quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies in each column. It either broke or I lost it, and I've been searching for something similar ever since, but have been unable to find it. Anyone know what I'm talking about, and where I could get one? If not...someone do some reverse engineering and build one - properly marketed I'm sure it could take off!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Good News Travels Fast

Join Conversations Politely, Part 1

Five Ways to Show Honest Appreciation

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.