Work on your mental game with some visualization.
So we train our minds along with our bodies.
Mental skills training (and thinking proactively) helps us:
- stay motivated
- stay true to what is important (our core values, identities, and goals)
- stay focused (and refocus as necessary)
- stay positive
- stay moving forward — even when life is pushing us off track
Today, we’ll look at visualization — the ability to vividly imagine situations.
See the future:
The better you can imagine the outcome you want, the more likely you are to get it.
Remember that what we see, think, feel, and imagine is the same to our brains as what we do.
Visualization should actually involve all of your senses, not just sight.
Let’s try an example for starters.
The workout:
Shut your eyes briefly and recall the last good workout you had. Create this image in vivid detail.
- Imagine the music that was playing.
- Imagine the sound of the weights clanking or the sound of your feet hitting the road as you run.
- Imagine the smell of the iron, or the outdoors, or the spray bottle of cleaning fluid for wiping off the benches (or that stinky gym guy who needs to wash his t-shirt).
- Imagine the way your body felt. Did the barbell’s knurling abrade your hands? Were you tired? Did your knee hurt? Did you feel energized? Did you feel the fabric of your fuzzy sweatshirt? How were you breathing?
- Imagine the taste of the water you drank or the apple you ate afterward.
- Imagine how the scene unfolded. Did you need to share a set of dumbbells with someone? Did you rush to be on time for a fitness class?
Now your brain is firing on all cylinders.
As far as your brain is concerned, you’re right back in that gym.
Sit with that image for a few minutes. Keep working on making it as real as possible.
Notice whether you can re-create the sensations you experienced.
Congratulations — you did your first directed visualization!
You can practice this exercise with any scenario such as your last vacation day, your date night, playing with your kid, walking in the park.
1. Improve your mind game with visualization.
Strong mind, strong body.
Your mental game is as important as your physical one.
2. Get your neurons firing.
Practice the visualization example in today’s lesson, re-creating a vivid experience of your most recent good workout.
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