Happy 5th Birthday!

I am so excited to tell you girls that 10 for Teens + Tweens just celebrated it’s 5th birthday! Back in 2020 I had an idea, it scared me a little bit, but I took a chance anyway. I started a podcast for girls to share advice and tackle tough topics, hoping it would help you girls start believing you are enough. Here we are, five years and 1.35 million downloads later, you girls are tuning in from 204 countries all over the world. Honestly this podcast exists because of you, so with all my heart, thank you for listening.

Visualize Your Goals

So we’ve talked about goals before–episodes 006 about SMART Goals, episode 113 about when you don’t reach a goal. Have you ever heard about using visualization? It’s a mental practice that can help you achieve your goals. A BetterHelp.com article defines visualization as “the process of creating an image in your mind’s eye or mentally rehearsing something to learn new skills or improve performance.” It may sound odd, but the idea is, if you can picture yourself already having done something, that can help you see the steps you need to take to get there, and help you be in a better headspace from visualizing your success.

Mental Power

Visualization can be an effective tool, and it’s not just all in your head. A 2015 study showed that mental imagery uses the same parts of your brain as your vision does. So what you see in your mind can impact your performance or outcome. And that can go both ways.

Growing up my mom would quote Henry Ford (like the car company), “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” Anxiety often has me picturing worst case scenarios, sometimes to the point that I physically feel sick. I try to remind myself, if I’m going to imagine everything’s wrong, I also need to consider possibilities where everything’s okay. And I’m telling you girls, it works. Your mind has an incredible influence on you, so if you can channel your imagination to see things going the way you hope they will, you’ll increase your chances of achieving that goal.

Success Stories

Many successful people practice visualization–like nine-time Olympic gold medalist US swimmer Katie Ledecky, seven-time Olympic gold medalist US gymnast Simone Biles, talk show host and author Oprah Winfrey, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress Lady Gaga; and self-made billionaire and founder of Spanx Sarah Blakely–these gals all use visualization techniques, and given their success, I’d say it’s working.

In a TedX talk, US Navy veteran and business strategist Pete Canalichio shared multiple experiences where he was faced with a goal or a challenge–sometimes life-threatening–and he used visualization to persevere until he succeeded. He asked, “Do you have a dream to do something big, something bold, something almost impossible to accomplish? Then I say, picture that dream. Visualize what you’ll be doing and who you’ll be doing it with when you’ve accomplished it. The visualization will give you the clarity to know what to do and the determination to go that extra ten percent to make it happen. Never let go of that dream.”

How To Practice Visualization

So to practice, visualize in your mind the outcome you’re hoping for:

– imagine yourself performing your best and winning the game, the race, the competition
– see yourself making a great speech or presentation, and earning a high score or grade
– picture yourself getting the award, or the job, or the milestone you’re trying to reach

With that image in mind, set a SMART goal plan (episode 006) that will help you achieve it. You can also visualize the steps that will get you there. Throughout the whole process, revisit that imagery of the outcome and steps to keep you motivated as you persevere.

Vision Boards

There are also some exercises that can help you with visualization.

First, Vision Boards. Create a poster with pictures and words that represent your goal. Your Vision Board can serve as a reminder to stay focused on your goal and can motivate you to go for it. You could make one digitally, but I highly recommend you make a Vision Board with paper, scissors, and glue. A 2020 study showed that a tangible, physical object you can touch with your hands–instead of just see with your eyes–creates a stronger mental connection to it. So grab some magazines you can craft with, or print out the pictures you want, cut them out, glue them on, and create a collage of inspiration. Hang your Vision Board on your wall, like I often say, where you’ll see it, remember it, practice it, and believe it. That’s the important part.

Future Writing

Another exercise that can help you with visualization is writing a letter or journal entry from the perspective of your future self who has already reached your goal. Describe in vivid detail the steps you took to get there and the events that led up to it. Express how you felt the moment you achieved your goal, who was there to support you, and how you celebrated your accomplishment. List the lessons you learned along the way, both from success and failure. Offer gratitude not only to those who helped you, but also gratitude to yourself for how you got through obstacles and persevered until you reached what you were hoping for. Again for the tangible connection, handwrite this letter on paper. And again, post it on your wall where you’ll see it, remember it, practice it, and believe it. That’s the important part.

Now, does visualization guarantee success? No, nothing can. But it can increase the likelihood for success. Does visualization get your hopes up? It might, but if you don’t succeed, you’re going to be disappointed whether or not you practice visualization. Again, visualization helps you picture yourself already having done something and the steps to get there. This can help you get in the right mindset so you can lock in, channel your skills and energy, and do the best you can when going for your goal. 

Let’s Practice Visualization

It’s been a while since I practiced visualization, nearly a year since I made a Vision Board, and I don’t know if I’ve ever written as my future self. So we’ve both got some homework, but this is an assignment I’m looking forward to completing. Over the next two weeks, decide on a goal you’re hoping to reach. Take a quiet moment to visualize yourself achieving this goal and how you get there, engaging your senses to picture the scene, the people who are there, and the things you can hear, smell, touch or taste. Write yourself a letter or journal entry from the future having already reached your desired outcome, using the prompts I shared. Create a Vision Board that inspires you and motivates you to keep working toward your goal. I would love to hear about your experience doing this, and whether or not you accomplish it (yet), I hope enjoy practicing visualization.

Resources

If you have a topic suggestion, I’d love to hear from you! Send an email (tweens get the OK from your parents) to hello@EmpowerfulGirls.com .

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