Can you SEE it? Success is between your ears!

Several years ago I had the opportunity to interview a woman who had been crowned the Queen of Recruiting for her division in Mary Kay Cosmetics that year.  That was quite an accomplishment for her – one that she had been working toward for many years.  Part of her recognition at the annual awards convention was concentrated stage time for both her and her family, as well as roughly 15 carats worth of diamond jewelry.  I wanted to pick her brain and find out every secret she had to share with me about achieving one’s goals. 

Before we dug into the details of how she did it, I wanted to know what it felt like to be on stage and sit on that throne with 20,000 people applauding you.  “It actually wasn’t that big a deal that night,” she said, “because I have ‘lived’ it so many times in my head.  For over three years I have visualized every minute detail of the award’s ceremony.  I knew the color of dress I would wear and how I would fix my hair.  I saw myself escorted down the long stairway as a member of the top three.  At the foot of the stairs, I saw myself greeted by my National Sales Director and brought down to center stage.  I knew exactly what it would look like gazing out over the arena as they called the second runner-up’s name (not mine), and then the first runner-up’s name (also not mine).”  She went on to share her visualization with me down to the finest detail.  Then she said, “I believe that is the reason I actually achieved it – because I could see it.  Of course I worked hard to get there, but equally important was the fact that I could believe it, because I could see it.”

Last week I shared with you the need for CLEAR goals.  A second, equally important factor in the process of achieving those goals is the ability to visualize them.  You must be able to see yourself accomplishing them.  I often quote Dr. Stephen Covey, who wrote The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  With his habit number two, Covey encourages us to “begin with the end in mind.”  This is so important because if you don’t know where you are going you won’t know how to get there.  Furthermore, if you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know when you’ve arrived!

High Road challenge for the day: As you establish your goals, take the time to dream and conjure up a mental picture of what it will be like when you achieve it.  What will it look like, feel like, sound like, and smell like?  Create a mental movie for yourself, directing it the way you want it to be.  You can begin broadly.  Then each time you play the movie for yourself you can add detail to it.  Take time every day to envision your success.  Play the movie for yourself every morning, so it is the first thing your subconscious focuses on to begin your day.  Play it again for yourself each night before you go to bed, so it is the last thing your subconscious focuses on before you go to sleep.  Visualizing your goals as already achieved is a critical factor in actually achieving them.

Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving.  - Florence Scovel Shinn