When you were watching the Olympics, did you notice how many athletes closed their eyes for a few moments before they got into the starting position?

My guess is that they were visualizing the performance they wanted to have.

Visualizing is a powerful technique that is scientifically proven. It makes sense when you realize that thoughts have energy, so aligning your thoughts and your actions builds your momentum for reaching your goals.

But I always struggled with visualizing until I tied it to how I would feel when I achieved my goal. Emotions are easier for me to direct, and they add another little push. Now I have the energy of my thoughts and emotions behind my actions.

You can began practicing this emotional envisioning in various ways.

Before bed, think about how you want to feel as you move through your day—for instance how energized and eager you are to give your workout your all. How much you appreciate the food that you are eating and your amazing body that is knocking itself out on you behalf.

Then as you go through your day, reach for the emotion you envisioned—and then make it even more specific.

For instance, not only reach for feeling energized and eager before your workout, but also think about how good it feel afterwards–it makes you feel alive, confident, successful, even powerful. Spend a moment allowing yourself to feel that way, and then begin moving your body.

Talk about amping up your workout! And an added bonus is it increases the positive feelings you experience when you’re done, so the good feeling just keeps getting better and better!

Feel how you want to experience your meal before you eat. Feel how rested and refreshed you will be when you wake up before you go to sleep. Feel how cleansing and hydrating the water is before you drink.

You are creating a wave of energy that is like a tidal wave moving you where you want to go.

However, if you are in a lot of pain or are struggling with something, trying to envision how it will feel when you meet your ultimate goal may actually make you feel worse because it seems too far away. If that’s the case, just reach for a smaller feeling of relief. For instance, envision waking up feeling a little more rested, or the satisfaction of completing your walk around the block. Your progress is your progress.

What can you do to begin emotionally envisioning how you want your life to go before you live it? What difference does that make to how much more fun life is along the way to reaching your goals?

Together we can do it!