What do LeBron James, Jim Carey and Will Smith all have in common? Aside from wealth, fame, and success, they all use a mental trick to help them get where they want to be. It's called... visualization.
Although visualization has been considered "woo woo science" for years, research now provides a scientific basis for how and why it works. It’s not just a vision of a dream; it is an appeal to our better selves, and a pathway to get there. Before you dismiss this as “hope” or a “think it and you will be it” gimmick, visualization is a well-developed method used by professional athletes and successful people across a range of fields.
A 2003 study published in Neuropsychologia found that imagining to move certain parts of your bodies trains muscles almost as much as the actual movement. Visualizing outcomes that you want can increase your confidence and enables you to "practice success." "Seeing" yourself succeed helps you believe that it can – and will – happen.
LeBron James worked with a sports psychologist who suggested that he watch a 10-minute highlight video of his best shots every night right before sleep.
As a young athlete, Arnold Schwarzenegger used visualization techniques to reach his bodybuilding goals and then carried that strategy forward into his career beyond athletics.
Gold medalist Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn visualizes herself on the run and physically simulates the path by shifting her weight and breathing as she envisions herself on the slopes.
Muhammad Ali prepped for his fights by seeing himself take down his opponents over and over in his mind.
Back when Jim Carrey was a nobody, he wrote himself a check for $10 million dollars for “acting services rendered.” He carried that check in his wallet as a source of inspiration, and he looked at it when he was discouraged by the frequent rejections he received. In 1994, he was selected to star in Dumb and Dumber, and he received – you guessed it - $10 million for his role.
When you visualize an action—whether it’s making a free throw, delivering a keynote speech, or nailing a job interview—your brain fires the same neural pathways as if you were actually doing it. This “mental rehearsal” builds confidence, primes your mind for success, and increases the likelihood of achieving your goals.
“In my mind, I've always been an A-list Hollywood superstar. Y'all just didn't know yet.” – Will Smith
The Science of Visualization
So how does simply imagining something translate to real-world results? Here’s what happens when you use visualization effectively:
Train Your Brain to Recognize Opportunities
– Your reticular activating system (RAS), a network in your brainstem, filters information based on what’s important to you. When you focus on a goal, your RAS starts noticing resources, people, and opportunities that align with it.
Reduce Anxiety & Boost Confidence
– Ever rehearsed a speech in your mind before giving it? That’s visualization at work. By mentally practicing success, your brain "sees" you winning, reducing fear and self-doubt.
Strengthen Neural Pathways
– Every time you visualize a successful outcome, you strengthen the neural connections that make it possible. It’s like mental weightlifting—the more reps you put in, the stronger your ability to perform becomes.
Program You for Action
– Visualization isn’t about daydreaming—it’s about priming yourself to take action. By mentally experiencing success, you become more likely to make the decisions and take the steps needed to achieve it.
"He who says he can and he who says he can’t are both usually right." - Confucius
4 Ways to Use Visualization Like a Pro
You don’t need to be an elite athlete or Hollywood superstar to harness the power of visualization. Here’s how you can use it in your daily life:
✅ Get Specific – Don’t just picture success in vague terms. Imagine every detail: the sights, sounds, emotions, and even the obstacles you might face. Your brain responds best to detailed, sensory-rich images. Instead of just picturing success in broad strokes, engage all five senses. Feel the warmth of the spotlight, hear the crowd’s applause, see yourself confidently executing your goal. The more immersive your visualization, the more your brain believes it’s real.
✅ Add Emotion – Logic doesn’t drive action—emotion does. The more emotionally charged your visualization, the more your brain commits to making it happen. Don’t just see the moment—feel it. Let the excitement, pride, and confidence wash over you as if it’s already happened.
🔑 Pro Tip: If you’ve ever experienced a similar success before, recall that moment and amplify it. Your brain loves familiarity and will start to associate those feelings with your future goals.
✅ Pair It with Action – Here’s the deal—visualization is not magic. You can’t just think your way to success; you have to back it up with action. But when combined with effort, visualization enhances performance, builds resilience, and helps you stay focused.
✨ Try this: After visualizing, write down one small action you can take today that moves you toward your goal. When your brain sees the connection between visualization and action, you reinforce the habit.
✅ Add Positive Affirmations – Affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself, often in the present tense, as if the outcome has already happened.
Affirmations help to rewire your brain and change negative thought patterns. By repeatedly telling yourself positive affirmations, you begin to believe in them and they can have a transformative effect on your life.
Together, visualization and affirmations can be a powerful combination to help you cultivate a positive mindset, overcome obstacles, and achieve your goals. They can be incorporated into your daily self-care practice or morning ritual, or through meditation or simply repeating affirmations throughout the day.
If some of the world’s most successful people use visualization to level up their performance, why shouldn’t you? Science confirms that what we imagine influences what we create—so why not train your brain to see the best possible outcome?
What’s one goal you’ll start visualizing today? Let me know in the comments!
If you can't envision yourself being successful, it's more likely than not that you won’t be.
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