The Power of Visualization

A couple years back, I was looking for a new truck. I did a little research, and came across a particular make, model, and color I liked. As I’ve long been a firm believer in visualizing the things you want (more on that later), I printed out a picture of my dream truck and pinned it to the vision board in my office. Over the next couple months, my wife shopped around to find the ideal vehicle. She’s a true expert at online shopping and researching potential purchases to find the best deals. Lo and behold, one day she caught me right as I was walking in the door and told me, “I’ve found it. You’re gonna love this truck.”

Excited, but not thinking much of it, I went to the dealership to give it a test drive. I could tell almost immediately that it was the one. A hulking 4×4, black, with all the features I’d been looking for. And of course, since my wife had been the one doing all the research, it was priced perfectly for our budget and was a fantastic deal.

Thrilled, we bought it that same day. The following day, I was happily admiring my new truck in the office parking lot from my desk when I looked at my vision board. Right there, pinned to the cork board, was the spitting image of the truck I’d just purchased — almost exactly the same one I’d envisioned months before. How’s that for the power of visualization?

I’ve been thinking a lot about my tendencies for setting and meeting goals as we move into 2018. I may not be the type of person to set a resolution that starts Jan. 1, but I’ve always been interested in finding ways to reach higher in both my professional and personal life.

At some point, I think while reading Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen’s “The Power of Focus,” I came across the idea of a vision board. To achieve the things you want, you need to put it at the front of your attention. When you imagine yourself living in your dream, mustering all of your imagination, suddenly, even the loftiest goals seem remarkably within reach. It alters your subconscious to the point that you believe whatever you’re looking toward is on its way to you, keeping you firmly on the right path toward the desired endpoint.

For almost five years, I had a cut-and-paste picture of my buddy Travis Smith and I holding snook on a fishing boat, with a cameraman filming us for the fishing show I always dreamed of having. Then finally, in September 2016, I made my show “Rates and Reels” a reality, and had Travis on as my first guest. The show, a chicken coop, a truck, a boat are all dreams that became a reality, thanks in part to the vision board.

I find goals give us purpose and direction, keeping us zeroed in on things that matter most. For 2018, I’m looking forward, more than ever, to helping more people own the home of their dreams, offering better educational resources and tools to make the process as easy as possible. In addition, I’m hoping to expand the viewership for “Rates and Reels.” I’ve even been playing with the idea of starting a podcast, assuming I can figure out what exactly I want to talk about without just rambling incoherently.

Here’s hoping, like me, you’re finding a lot to look forward to in this coming year, and you’re able to visualize and realize whatever goals you dream of achieving. Happy New Year!