Remember Your Future Self

“You don't have to be great to get started,
but you have to get started
to be great."
-Les Brown

Visualization on the level needed for achieving ROCKET Goals is not something that comes naturally to many people. While we can appreciate the outward practice routine of athletes - which gives us some indication about the level of physical training necessary to win a race, we are not (yet) able to track how often and how intensely goal achievers visualize their goals in their mind’s eye.

Here is a simple rule to help you - whatever you are imagining for your future self, 10X your number of rapid repetitions. In other words, your visualizing might not be working simply because you haven’t really put your whole imagination and mental energy into the launch sequence. This is why the ROCKET Goals metaphor is so powerful… more often than not you will need several, if not dozens of rocket boosters to escape the gravity of your current life circumstances.

You might be failing at your goals - not for lack of effort or motivation, but simply because you are not visualizing success often enough or with the proper intensity.

As you begin visualizing, make sure to burn with rapid and steady intensity about your future self. This one step alone should start to build momentum! Of course, even with rockets at full blast, there is more to launching into orbit than simply making a big fire and keeping your fingers crossed.

Other common barriers to visualization include a lack of belief in oneself, negative past experiences shaping future expectations, and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. To unlock the full potential of visualization, it's crucial to recognize and address these personal challenges.

Psychological Techniques
Cognitive-behavioral techniques can be particularly effective in overcoming these barriers. These strategies involve identifying negative thought patterns and replacing them with more positive, realistic thoughts. For example, if you find yourself thinking, "I'll never be able to achieve this," challenge that thought with evidence of past successes and the attainability of your goal. Neuroscientists suggest that this practice not only improves mood but can also rewire the brain to be more conducive to positive future visualizations.

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
Integrating mindfulness and self-compassion into your practice can significantly enhance the effectiveness of visualization. Mindfulness keeps you grounded in the present moment, allowing a clearer vision of the future without the distortion of past biases. Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you'd offer a good friend, which is crucial when facing setbacks or challenges. Dr. Kristin Neff, a leading expert in this field, emphasizes that self-compassion provides the emotional safety needed to admit mistakes and learn from them, which is essential for realistic and achievable future visualizations.

Eyes Drive the Effort: Your Eyes Are Goal Catapulting Engines
As we’ve written previously, Eyes Drive the Effort! Emily Balcetis, a social psychologist, suggests that literally keeping your eyes on the prize makes your goals seem easier to achieve. Pay attention to how your eye focus, and what they tend to dwell on. When you are on goal attraction mode, notice how your eyes move. Goal achievement requires casting a wide field of vision, and then bringing your vision back into sharp and immediate focus.

IEngaging Activities
To overcome these barriers, engage in activities that foster positive visualization. As discussed, set aside time for epoch based 'Visualization Meditation.' Dedicate a few minutes, several times each day to close your eyes and vividly imagine achieving your goals. Rapidly imagine not just the end result, but the key steps you took to get there, engaging all your senses to make the experience as real as possible.

Note: This is not the time to meticulously go over your entire project plan, but instead, step through the handful of key achievements that signal and represent Goal Success. Think of this of a kind of visual goal success short hand that you can flip through on-demand.

For example, for running a marathon, this “highlights reel” might equate to five or six key moments of goal success: Finishing my first 6 mile run. Finishing my twelve mile run. Finishing my 4 hour slow jog. Finishing my intensity training. Showing up for race day. Crossing the finish line under X hours. Celebrating with my friends and family.

Flip through your simple highlight reel over and over and over and over and over and over and over again! If you find yourself playing the highlight reel at random moments during the day without realizing it, that is a sign that you are at the right intensity level!

Another effective exercise is the 'Future Self Letter,' where you write a letter from your future self, thanking you for the actions you took today. This exercise not only strengthens the connection with your future self but also reinforces the belief in your ability to achieve your goals.

Remember, visualizing your future is not just about daydreaming; it's about creating a vision so compelling and powerful that it pulls you towards it. Run through your launch sequence again and again and again until it seems to consume your every waking moment. This level of focus might feel kind of obsessive at first - or like it will distract you from other tasks, but the reality is that we all have plenty of spare capacity to focus on ROCKET Goals and still go about our daily lives. The mind has thousands of thoughts each day - so what feels like incredible intensity is just harnessing a small portion of your overall thought power towards your end goal.

The bottom line: Deliberately overcoming your visualization barriers with practice is the first step towards launching! Today is the day to get started!