The Secret Sauce: 3, Visualize

The Secret Sauce, #3, Visualize and Believe. 
To achieve excellence, “visualize” and believe that you can be the best.  While each of the 6 factors for excellence play a pivotal role, this factor is the one that is most often overlooked, and is also one of the most powerful influences.  Over many years of extensive, in-depth research, I have often seen people and/or organizations that actually did many of the other factors listed, but failed to perform this vital factor, which greatly impacted the results.     

Visualization techniques are incredibly powerful and influential!  It’s not good enough to just say you are going to achieve an extraordinary goal, you need to SEE yourself performing and achieving the goal.  If you are saying all the right things to achieve your goal, but in your mind you are seeing fears, potential pitfalls, and lots of uncertainty, in the end the results follow what the mind sees.  Therefore, proper visualization of success is vital.  

Over many years of reviewing numerous interviews and conversations with some of the world’s greatest athletes, business leaders, and prominent influencers, there was one amazing, common thread that they all shared… they all had an incredible ability to visualize greatness. 

• Michael Jordan would describe how before a big basketball game, he would close his eyes, and see himself making one shot after another shot.  He would see himself being unstoppable, and he would see himself making the winning shot at the end of the game.  So, once the game started his body and actions just fulfilled what his mind had visualized.
• Hall of fame football receiver Jerry Rice would describe how he would “play a tape in his head” (visualize), and he would see himself gliding past all the defenders, catching every football thrown his direction, and flying past everyone to score the touchdown.
• Famous Apple founder and innovation leader Steve Jobs, would describe how he would visualize extraordinary products that would change the world.  He adamantly believed his products and approach was the best, he visualized how it would change the world, and as a result, he did produce extraordinary products and he did change the world.  

Visualizing success and firmly believing that you will be successful has worked for these renowned influencers, and thousands of others.   If done properly, it will produce extraordinary results for you too!

If you are the leader of a team or organization, make sure you do the same for everyone on your team.  Help them visualize success and firmly believe that the team will achieve the goal.   How often have you seen leaders, just state the goal for the team, but nobody on the team buys in or believes that they will really accomplish it?... we all know how this type of scenario turns out, the team fails to meet the goal… the results reflected their state of mind and what they visualized.  

Once you master visualization techniques, you will be amazed at the change in results.  It is so important that you master this factor and effective visualization techniques.  There are firms that conduct seminars and training sessions to help you fast-track the development and mastering of this skill, and the payback is big and ongoing. Among all the training I have delivered over the years, this topic has produced some of the most enthusiastic feedback.  They contact me with their enthusiast praise on the incredible impact of this factor, and the positive change it has produced.   Put it to work for you!   

Follow the other factors for excellence that are included in this series, make sure you clearly set your goals, and apply the incredible power of visualization to achieve extraordinary results!      

This article is part 3 of a 6 part series titled “6 Factors For Excellence”, and discusses the 6 factors that drive excellence and help you achieve extraordinary results.   To read the other articles in this series click here. 

---