21 Days of Action – The Power of Imagination and Starting at the End

Hello!

It’s Day 1 and let’s start  ( and finish) at our highest and best output. If you begin with the end in mind you will be empowered by this visual and be more likely to remain  motivated at the highest level throughout the journey.

So get a very clear visual of the end…Day 21…How will you be feeling and what will you be celebrating?  Get a very clear and focused picture in your mind. Whatever you can do to make this a multi-sense experience, do it.  The more vibrant and brilliant the visual the better.  Bring that level of excitement and energy into the present and ‘do’ and ‘be’ that way today.

My assumption is that by now you have decided a few essential things: your goal and the required plan of action for achieving said goal over the next 21 days.

So today’s suggested activities (in addition to visualization above) are:

1)  Spend at least 30 minutes on specific action steps connected to your goal.  If you can invest more time, do so.

2)  Break your goal into 3 main parts – providing a benchmark for each week of our 21 days

3)  Once you’re clear on what the first benchmark is – to be achieved by Wednesday May 25^th, plan out your action steps between now and then

4)  Spend 15 extra minutes on organizing your work space

5)  Repeat yesterday’s relaxation/imagination exercise – you will be asked to repeat this exercise each day of our journey.

The research is clear – we are more creative and productive (quality and quantity) when we approach work rested and in a non-stressed state of mind. Relaxation is a key to productivity.  As for using your imagination; it is a powerful goal-achieving technique used with tremendous success by high achievers in all industries especially sports, music, dance, speaking, writing and other performance based activities. Mental practice is highly effective and all research has supported its use for managing mindset and achieving goals.

A famous story is told about mental practice:  “The Chinese pianist Liu Chi Kung was imprisoned for seven years during the Cultural Revolution, during which time he had no access to a piano. When he returned to giving concerts again after he was released, his playing was better than ever. Asked how this was possible since he had not practiced for seven years, he replied: “I did practice every day. I rehearsed every piece I had ever played, note by note, in my mind.”  Bernie Zilbergeld, PH.D

You have to practice in your mind the actual process of the achieving your goal…not simply the end result of celebration and success – this is helpful with keeping the end in mind.  In achieving goals, the power of the imagination exercise is to vividly see yourself doing the work; taking the action steps that would lead to your success.

Albert Einstein said “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” and he said he achieved some of his greatest insights first through visual images which he then put into words. He also imagined himself riding on a ray of light, when he was working on his famous relativity theory.

So who are we to not use the strategies that the great Einstein has championed?

Here is the relaxation/imagination exercise taken in part from yesterday’s message:

1) Spend 15 minutes today in a relaxed – super relaxed and comfortable chair or position. Get your mind to be as empty as possible…using deep breathing as your tool.

2) Deep diaphragmatic breathing is what you want. Filling your diaphragm as you to breathe in more oxygen will expand your stomach area; so with hand on tummy you should be able to tell instantly whether your breathing is deep enough. If your stomach expands (pushes out against your hand) you’re good, if your chest expands and/or your shoulder rises, you’re breathing shallow and will not gain the relaxing benefits of deep breathing.

3)  In this relaxed position, after a few minutes of controlled deep breathing, sit peacefully for as long as you can up to about 15 minutes.

Visualize your muscle groups from bottom to top, tightening and releasing a few times and then relaxing into a calm stillness.

4) Then immediately following this relaxations session, venture into some imagination playtime.

Allow your imagination to visualize your optimistic state of mind working for you as you see yourself producing more of what you intend to produce more of each day on this journey…writing, helping, sales, studying, researching, coaching, speaking, building, bonding…whatever your goal is, imagine your optimistic self in a state of blissful productivity. Keep this ‘movie’ in your mind going, filling in all the details you can inject and keeping it inspired, light and entertaining.  See yourself taking the actual steps needed to achieve the specific daily goal you have for today. See yourself taking these steps again and again.  Pause the movie a few times and insert a few deep breaths to be sure you remain relaxed.

That’s it…

Enjoy your day, play full out and the rewards will be magnificent.

Wishing you an abundance of productivity and joy,

Julette Millien

♥~

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Albert Einstein

P.S. This is a part of the 21 Days of Action & Accountability – a free event.   Day 1 is Thursday May 19th and previous preparation exercises can be found here