Today I’m going to go a bit off my usual path and ask that you do a simple exercise while reading this post. The message and purpose behind this post, is based on the assumption that you will take the time to do the simple exercise. It shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 minutes at most, but will undoubtedly leave a lasting effect.
I realize I’m not the first person to talk about the benefits of visualization, but for those who have yet to dive into the world of visualizing, I wanted to share you with an exercise that has helped me tremendously in my own personal life.
The Simple Exercise
[The truth is, many of those who read this post won't take the time to do this simple yet powerful technique. Don't be one of those people.]
First get comfortable and close your eyes. Take a deep breathe and imagine what you your ideal life would look like in five years time.
Who do you spend most of your time with? Do you enjoy your career? Is it fulfilling? What do you spend most of your time doing? Are you over flowing with joy? Feel the colors in the picture you paint.
Are you eating healthy? Do you take small walks each and everyday? Do you read to stimulate your mind?
Do you get angry over small things that in the end won’t matter? Do you let excessive worry prevent you from enjoying the present moment? Do you easily give up in the face of adversity?
Take a moment and really feel the reality you so badly want. See the sights for what they are and notice the joy it brings you.
Finished? Good. Let’s continue.
Themes of Happiness
You may be under the impression that doing this exercise will help you create the reality that you just spent time imagining, which may be partly true. But I’m also here to tell you that wasn’t exactly the point. Huh?
The purpose of the exercise wasn’t to make you salivate over what may or may not lie in the future, but instead show you that you don’t have to wait five years to live out the reality you think you want.
Take a moment and recall what you just spent 10 minutes thinking about. Were your thoughts filled with material possessions? Or did you simply have freedom on your mind? Did you visualize spending your time with people you didn’t know or didn’t care about? Or did you instead project yourself spending time with people you love now?
I’m going to go off on a limb and guess that what you visualized didn’t consist of only material possessions. Sure, you may have visualized a beautiful home for your family and yourself to live in, but I’m willing to wager that that wasn’t what inspired you. If I had to take a wild guess, I’d also say that your fantasy isn’t as far away from your current reality as you may think.
You Don’t Have To Wait
If you spent your time thinking about how much more loved you’ll be five years from now, why not begin loving yourself and others now?
If you spent your time thinking about how badly you want a meaningful career, you can start today by taking the small steps needed to make that happen.
You see, this exercise was designed to make you realize this: All you need for the life you want, is right underneath your nose. All that you have to do is shift your mindset to one of abundance.
The reason we close our eyes to the amazing blessings we have is because it’s fun to have something to look forward to. But when you alter the way you view your current situation things become almost magical in how amazing life is. I’m not saying you shouldn’t strive for your future goals or aspirations. I’m not saying your future isn’t something to be excited about. But waiting for happiness is like waiting for the for the mailman to come on Sunday.
The truth is, it doesn’t need to take five years to learn that you should never sweat the small stuff. It doesn’t need to take 5 years for you to discover that relationships are everything. It doesn’t need to take 5 years for you to create a meaningful career that you enjoy. Much of what you want and desire begins now.
Your five year dream begins today. Are you ready?
Bud, to be honest, this is awesome.
I did visualize spending time with the people I am with right now. Having the same friends, on another level. Having my lovely girlfriend, also on another level. And doing what I do right now, but on a whole other level.
You in 5 years is determined by what you do in these 5 years. Future-you is a product of present-you. Keep that in mind and become the person you want to be.
Thanks man. Glad it helped.
Hey Bud!
Yeah I know about this exercise, it’s very good for making a person realize what they want and that they have the power to start working towards those goals right now.
The book ‘The Alchemist’ is a very good example of what you just wrote. In it, a young boy goes on a massive journey across continents, overcomes enormous obstacles and faces death many times in search of a treasure that was always right in front of his nose. A really good book if you havent read it yet!
Have a super week!
Diggy
Thanks Diggy. The alchemist is perhaps one of my favorite books of all time.
Hope all is well man.
Hey Bud!
Daily visualization for what you want your life to look like is giving your subconscious a clear message “This is what I want.” It works and I would even say that when we aren’t clear with what we want, we end up settling for less.
To do this, I created a mind movie with 10 frames – each is linked to a goal for this year. I watch it over and over, day in and day out. It works “magically.”
Mike
Sweet Mike. I’ve heard of mind movies before.. but haven’t gotten around to making one. Maybe I should.
How do u create mind movies. Can you give me an example of how you have done this?
An abundant mindset is worth infinitely more than abundant money. Only people who have experienced both can say this truly though but I think it’s true
.
I love this post. Of course, intellectually, I know this stuff. However, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually practised or thought deeply about it.
Thanks for bringing this back to the forefront of my mind.
Hey Anne! So much of personal development is just remembering what we already know. Glad it was a helpful reminder.
I’m ready but there are many things in what I visualized that aren’t already with me. For example, I visualized a different job title and role, being married instead of being single and a few other shifts that aren’t trivial things to have happen tomorrow. They may take some time to get there but I’m fairly confident that tomorrow isn’t going to be the day that I run into some hot blonde that digs me and wants to marry me. I could have had that visualization and wonder, “Could that happen?” I suppose it could, but how likely is that to happen, really?
I may seem like a bit of a doubting Thomas here and I suppose in some ways I am that person as I imagined myself thinner, healthier and richer in many ways. I enjoyed the article but I still have some doubts is I guess my point.
Jb.. thanks for sharing your insight. Do you realize the self defeating language you’ve used?
Maybe that right person won’t come into your life because you don’t quite want it yet.
The point of the post is this: You can love more today. You can be happier today. You can be healthier today. Everything else will fall into place.
Thanks for your comment man. I appreciate your honesty.
I am aware of various self-defeatin language in the reply. It is a part of my natural duality within myself. Part of me is an optimist and part of me is a pessimist. One sees a glass half-full and the other half-empty. It is just the way it goes within myself.
The everything else falling into place requires a bit of a leap of faith I think. My main goal at the moment is to be healthier. One baby step at a time and I will get there, or so is my plan.
What steps are you currently taking?
I’m currently trying to adjust my diet so that I’m only eating when I need to eat rather than eating merely because it is something I could do. There is an exercise program that has an assessment next week that I’m looking forward to seeing where that takes me as the last one revealed that I have a heart condition and added to how many meds I’m taking. I’m in a number of groups for battling anxiety/depression that seem to be helping move me along on my road to recovery.
The flip side to that is that I’m also discovering my strengths and trying to use those more in my life. This is a bit more vague than the other stuff that is more concrete in terms of what is being done.
I’m currently reading a book called “switch” I think you should pick it up.
Author of that book? I wouldn’t examining what it could give me.
Inspiring and motivational post Bud. It doesn’t take five years to make something happen. Like you say, everything we to make happen is with us and that is our mind. We don’t have actually have to have a million dollars to feel like a million dollars. We can do that now and carry that abundance mentality within us so we can pass it on to others. Thank you!
Very nice, positive post. I have a board by the side of my bed that has photos/images of what I will achieve in the future, things such as the house I want, how much income I will have etc and I do a similar exercise daily to visualise these as already true. It really does work – in weird ways.
Using visualisation I needed to gain £1000 somehow in order to live in my student house through the summer without aid of loans. I visualised daily getting it but not how. 2 months later my Grandmother died and left me £1000. No-one knew of my goal other than me, but it was achieved – in a weird/bad coincidence…
Very cool man. Thanks for sharing.
Bud,
This reminds me a ton of a massive life inventory I did at the beginning of this year that broke down life and my relationship with myself, others, leadership, goals, and the future.
I think this is a great step and that everyone NEEDS to have this type of clarity.
You really need to know two things: where you are now, and where you are going. Great post, and I look forward to doing this exercise soon!
Soon doesn’t exist.
Hey Bud,
Great work as usual =)
I think one trap that you bring up is something people often get caught up in – we postpone what we want into the future, and what does that happen when tomorrow comes? It’s still in the future. And in a year, it’ll *still* be in the future
It needs to be now – because that’s the only time we have any real control over =)
Hey Sid. Thanks as always for stopping by. Hope life is treating you well buddy.
I like it! Be a happy guy begins today!
Like it! this is essential factor for determining what are our goals!
The secret (law of attraction) is a great book to start with! maybe it is not completely true but it can help and change life of people who wants to.
thank you
Hey David.. Thanks man. I’m not too big of the Secret to be honest as it was far too manipulative in my opinion, but as you said it’s an OK starting point.
I agree. I try to think “long term” more as a concept vs. a long period of time like five years since who knows what will happen just around the corner. Plus, like you alluded to, we can make the future happen today.
Thanks for introducing me to visualization techniques. I haven’t tried them until I visited this site. This is a good one and the one you have on the sidebar is great too: http://www.pluginid.com/improve-at-anything/.
Bud,
I really enjoyed this post. You are totally right, we need to start to live now. Magic in our Life is happening now, we don’t have to wait.
All the best,
Boris
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Hello,
Nice post. My advice is adding to this exercise two things :
1- Reviews our goals on paper every day, rewrite it every morning in order to print them into our subconscious mind.
2- Use a vision board !
Cheers,
Yoann