It was not part of my upbringing to set goals or visualize what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was taught that listening to my parents, going to school, and hard work was what I needed to do to be successful.
It wasn’t until I was on the edge of 50 and had the strong desire to leave the comfort of my 9-5 job and dare to build something for myself that I began to learn the process and importance of goal setting and visualization. It was also at this time that I realized that I never really allowed myself to consider a dream or goal outside of what was expected of me. What had taken me so long to allow myself to consider a dream without the limited mindsets of those around me.
It was my entrepreneurial journey that finally allowed me the knowledge of what it means to set a goal and the process needed to achieve it.
Journaling, meditation, and vision boards are some of the popular methods of keeping goals front and center in our minds. We are not only trying to identify with what our future success looks like, but what it feels like when it’s true. The more clarity you have about your goals the easier it is to see the steps needed to reach them and then to actually have them come to fruition.
In my photography business I have learned the power of a great photo and how that great photo can provide a visualization tool for success. I work with many entrepreneurs that are trying to level up their businesses. I have seen some of my clients change the way the feel about themselves and their businesses when they have a photo that represents the future successful person they imagine. They gain confidence and in turn begin attracting their ideal clients which then starts moving them closer to the success goals they have set for themselves. Their business start to flourish and they are seen by others as leaders in their industries. It has been through this that I have really seen the positive influence of visualization.
In another photography project, I was able to share positive visualization with young competitive swimmers. Using their images I helped them design their own inspiration poster. Seeing a large image of themselves in a powerful pose, with their name on it, maybe a power word or an inspirational quote, or even their current timings that they wanted to beat for next season. I learned so much from these young swimmers. I learned that when asked, they did have goals they wanted to reach, they had heroes that they looked up to, and they had different ways they envisioned their successful selves.
What does your future success look like? What does it feel like to have the success you are searching for? No matter the endeavor, we need to align our thoughts and actions in a consistent way to feel motivated to achieve our goals. Start learning the process of goal setting in your life as soon as you can. Teach it to your children so that they can have a process of realizing their dreams.
Don’t forget to be your own inspiration as you goal set for success. Have a great photo taken that is designed to portray the future successful you and include it on your vision boards.
