The Power of Becoming a Legend in Your Own Mind

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"Picture yourself in a boat on a river ..." The Beatles

Let's talk about visualization: The ability to mentally rehearse successful outcomes in a relaxed state before they actually happen.

All great athletes, from golfers to hoopsters to Olympians, practice visualization as part of their training regimen as well as when competing. For example, have you ever watched a professional basketball game on TV when one of the players is shooting a free throw? You'll notice on a close-up shot that every player has a little ritual they perform before tossing the ball up – bouncing the ball a certain number of times, taking a deep breath and then looking up at the basket in a trance-like state. You may even see them move their lips as if to mumble some words just before shooting. Then, hopefully, a swish. Players are coached on this technique to improve performance at the free throw stripe.

This same technique can work for you.

But before I get going, let me address a possible concern you might have – a reluctance to embrace becoming, "a legend in your own mind." I'm not suggesting you become egotistical, self-absorbed or narcissistic – I like to believe I'm none of these. I consider myself just another kid from the neighborhood: I graduated from a Chicago public high school with a 1.74 GPA – I was definitely not overachieving academically. I am actually "nobody special" doing something very special with each of my clients. And I visualize this every single morning.

You may have experimented with some form of mental rehearsal in the past, perhaps with mixed results, so you might be feeling some resistance. Perhaps you doubt that you can even do it – "I can't ever seem to see anything when I try visualizing." If this is the case, let me gently correct your thinking – you're ALREADY using visualization – you're visualizing "food" daily, right? That'd be breakfast, lunch and dinner – tell me you never dream of that juicy steak you're gonna have for dinner that has your mouth watering at 2pm. The truth is, most people put more effort into picturing what they're having for these three daily meals than they ever put into picturing success.