The Ten-Minute Exercise That Can Change Your Life

If you were to look at the habits of some of the world’s most successful people, you’ll find some type of meditation/positive visualization on their list of non-negotiables. What is it about this mindset practice that seems to give people a leg up in their lives?

I remember being 16 years old, sitting in the locker room after a basketball game in which I’d played horribly. I felt totally defeated as I mentally replayed all the mistakes I’d made, while verbally beating myself up about it.

One of our coaches came in and sat down beside me and said, “Jen, I can tell based on the first shot you take, exactly what kind of game you’re going to have. If you make it - that’s going to be a fun night. But if you miss it, well, we saw what happened tonight.”

“What that tells me, is that your performance has absolutely NOTHING to do with your abilities or potential. It has EVERYTHING to do with your mindset.”

You see, somewhere along the way, I picked up this idea that in order to get better, to level up and reach my goals, I had to focus on my flaws, to zero in on my failures and mistakes, so that I could try to fix them. 

Once I perfected them - only then would I be good enough. Then I’d be able to accomplish big things. 

Maybe you’ve been there before too. Maybe you’re putting so much pressure on yourself to perform perfectly, disguising it as “having really high standards” for yourself.

That’s exactly what I was doing. But what I didn’t know is that I was training my brain - on a subconscious level - to create neural pathways designed to limit myself. I was fueling my mindset with self-doubt. I had no idea that I was arming my inner critic with ammunition designed to keep me small and stuck. I didn’t realize how powerful our thoughts were - that what we think about ourselves we will eventually become.

My coach told me, “Success starts with your mindset. Whatever you keep telling yourself, that’s what you’ll be.”

He said, "I’m going to teach you an exercise that I think will be very valuable to you. It’s called positive visualization. And what you do is you sit down, get quiet, close your eyes and then mentally envision yourself being successful.”

And my first thought was, “You’ve got to be joking.” I’m an action taker and was expecting some kind of strategy or physical drill that I could implement. This felt a little “out there” for me. But I trusted him.

For the next week we practice this thing called positive visualization. We imagined ourselves playing the game to the best of our abilities. How it felt to make our shots, to work together cohesively, to play strong defense. To get up quickly when we mess up. Mentally going through every quarter successfully and winning the game. 

Finally, it’s time for our next game, a chance to put this positive visualization to the test. We warm up, visualize ourselves playing well, and I felt calm and ready. The game starts, and the first shot I take - I miss. Except this time, I made a new choice. Rather than getting down about it, I took a deep breath, remembered my visualization, and shook it off. “I’ll hit the next one” I thought. And then I did. I ended up playing pretty well. It was not only a lot more fun, but it also proved that I was capable of showing up in a way that made me feel proud.

Towards the end of that game, we were down 2 points when one of my teammates passed me the ball. With less than a minute left, I shot and I hit the game winning 3-pointer. It was an incredibly fun moment.

I go back to that moment every now and then, not to relive glory days, but because it’s one of the most vivid physical reminders of the power of our mindset.

It was also proof that I can make an impact without being perfect. And so can you.

That dream you came here with wasn’t given to you by accident. You’re unique. YOU have specific skills and gifts that are completely unique to you. This world needs your gifts.

We need you to step up and believe in yourself so you can boldly live out your purpose. We need you to prime your mindset for success.

Studies show that just thinking about something causes your brain to release neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that allow it to communicate with parts of itself and your nervous system. Neurotransmitters control all of your body's functions, from hormones to digestion to feeling happy, sad, or stressed.

If you bombarding your cells with negative thoughts or limiting beliefs, you are literally programming your cells to receive more negativity. This is why positive visualization is so important. 

Positive visualization is incredibly powerful. It’s a mental warm-up for physical action. It’s one of the best ways to create new pathways in your brain.

When we practice positive visualization, mirror neurons in our brain interpret that imagery as real-life action. This creates new neural pathways and prepares you for physical action.

Any time you're trying to level up or make a massive change in your life, you have to create a new comfort zone. Because we're wired for survival, our brains crave comfort and familiarity. That's why fear gets loud when we try new things.

By regularly practicing visualization, you're training your subconscious mind to become familiar with your goals, and to look for potential action steps in any situation that will help you get there.

What dream in your life do you need to visualize accomplishing?

• Maybe it’s creating a new offer in your business and showing up boldly to talk about it.

• Maybe it’s how you want to connect with the people in your life.

• Maybe it’s something you want to create and share with the world.

• Maybe it’s making a huge, scary leap of faith

This week, spend some time visualizing yourself successfully navigating that. Get comfortable, put on some meditative music, and let your imagination play. When we practice visualization, our brains enter into a theta state, meaning our subconscious is forward, but we still have control and can direct it (unlike the Delta state where we’re in a deep sleep and are dreaming). Most people describe this as a “dropped in” feeling. Once you’re there, spend some time watching yourself successfully accomplishing your dream. Get really detailed on what you want: How do you feel? Who is there? What do you do? How do you show up? What do you wear? What do you believe? What do you hear from others? What do you say? What do you see? What happens right before your success? What about during? After?

It can be especially helpful to visualize watching this play out for you in a disassociated way. Like watching yourself in a movie. Because our subconscious is always working to prove our beliefs correct, it will begin filtering out things that don’t align with your vision during the day. This helps us focus on what we DO want, rather than what we DON’T, and can prime us to take action to bring these dreams to life.

Doing this once will create new neurons. Doing this consistently is what will strengthen your new neurons and create strong pathways so this new belief and positive thought process will become more automatic and natural.

If you’re new to visualization, click here to listen to a guided one. That’s how I got started and it’s still one of my favorite ways to practice.

Imagine all that is possible, if you spent the next few months filling your mind with positive thoughts, empowering beliefs, and gratitude.

You are wildly capable.

If you want to accomplish big things in your life, it’s going to require you to get out of your comfort zone regularly. If you want to create that life you dream about for yourself and your family, you’re going to have to believe in your abilities. If you want to have a massive impact on the world, you’re going to have to be mentally resilient and able to stand in your full worth.

It’s time for you to fully believe in you. I can’t wait to see what you do as a result!