Have you seen the difference you can make on your schedule by setting the alarm clock a little earlier?
No clue what I’m talking about? Then you may have missed–or forgotten–Step #1. This is a new series on Upping Your Game and each part in the series builds on preceding message. Please check out Step #1 now.
The goal of upping one’s game is to benefit from imagining the results before they materialize. Your sculpted abs. Your completed reforecast. Your Caribbean vacation.
It’s even more powerful to realize you’re doing what others won’t. You are by definition rising above mediocrity. You are by definition outperforming the masses.
Seeing Is Believing
Our mind can work for us and against us. Sometimes we let it work against us by sabotaging our own success. Why would we do that? One word: protection.
If we hold our own self-image in low regard, we don’t get hurt by failures because we take no risks. We’re insulated–protected from pain.
Now, if we raise our self-image and set our sights on loftier goals, we empower ourselves to go even higher. We can risk failure and know we can learn from it.
Envisioning how we interact, who we’re with, and where we’re going, gives us targets to hit. These mental pictures are all vital components to a healthy self-concept and greater success.
When we see what we want, we put our subconscious to work. The greater the distance between what we see now and what we want, the greater the structural tension. Our brain goes to work on attracting the ideas, people, and resources necessary to fill the gap.
Everybody’s Driving My Car
Have you ever noticed right after you bought a new car, everyone’s driving the same car? Same make. Same model. Same color. That’s your subconscious at work.
The same goes for the new dress you bought, the new shoes, the new hair style. Your brain brings things into your awareness that might have gone unnoticed.
It works the same way for images of things not yet in your possession. That’s why vision boards and other visual cues you place in your awareness are important. It’s not just that we need reminders. It’s because we can actually manifest what we hold in our conscious mind.
Envision in the Morning
Now that you’re up 15 minutes earlier, you can use that precious time to envision what you want. Here are a few ideas:
- Create a vision board and look at it daily.
- Tape pictures of your ideal self on your bathroom mirror.
- Put pictures of your next vacation on your refrigerator door.
- Upload images of your goals as a screensaver.
- Keep a goals image folder as your favorites on your phone.
Take 15 minutes and bask in the beauty of these images of your future self, future outcome, or new routine. Close your eyes and let them become a part of your conscious thinking. Your subconscious will love you for it and will work to make it happen.
That’s Step #2 on Upping Your Game. Three more steps to take. Let’s elevate together.
