Introduction

People have known that creative visualization works for thousands of years, but only recently have they named the practice and put it through studies to prove its efficacy. Creative visualization is based on the simple observation that when you imagine something, such as a goal in life you wish to attain, you’re then able to bring that desire to fruition. In fact, often only by first visualizing something can you develop the idea or ignite the creative spurt that goes off in your brain like a light bulb.

But creative visualization isn’t just useful for being creative; it’s also a powerful personal development tool you can use to modify traits that are making you unhappy, increase your levels of energy and stamina, become more
confident, and enjoy life more fully.

Almost without knowing it, we all use visualization on a daily basis when daydreaming, or thinking about people, places, and things. Visualizing is something we do naturally, which creative visualization simply harnesses into a more structured form.

Furthermore, creative visualization can help you to achieve goals in life that you’ve otherwise found hard to achieve. Using powerful visualizations you can clearly focus on your aims, set the right goals, and imagine attaining them. By doing so you bring forth the desire and commitment to overcome obstacles and stick with your ambitions until you achieve them.

This book also shows you how to use creative visualization to overcome anxiety and phobias, increase your mental and physical wellbeing, improve your sleeping patterns, revise for exams more efficiently, overcome procrastination, and much, much more.

With such a range of benefits resulting from bringing creative visualization into your life, reading this book and trying the exercises can open up a whole new way of thinking and living, and can help you make the changes you want in your life.

About This Book

Unlike other personal improvement systems you may have tried, I believe that creative visualization is the most natural and easy means of achieving the changes in your life that you desire. After you get the hang of creative visualization, the techniques are so obvious that you may wonder why you never used them before. And you also begin to see results very quickly, which in turn spurs you on to keep going and use creative visualization even more in your life.

And making creative visualization part of your life is so easy! After you’ve practised visualizing a few times, you barely notice that you’re visualizing because the techniques become entirely embedded in your regular routine and merge into your way of life. More than that, though, because you can make the visualizations as beautiful as you like, they’re a joy to use and you enhance your life simply by practising them.

This book’s main aim is to get you started on the road to bringing creative visualization into your life. The practice has worked wonders for me and thousands of other people, and I know that once you get these techniques under your belt, your enjoyment of life and sense of fulfilment is going to be greater than ever.

Please note, however, that wherever I mention the ability of creative visualization to help with your personal health – for example, by assisting you to become more relaxed and lower your blood pressure – I’m not suggesting that you ignore medical advice in preference to these techniques. Far from it, in fact. Modern medicine has a tremendous ability to help with all manner of illnesses and ailments, so always consult a doctor or licensed practitioner when you first notice any health problem. Always think of creative visualization as an enhancement that helps increase the effectiveness of everything you undertake – including professional medical treatment – and not a replacement for it.

Conventions Used in This Book

To help maximise the clarity of information in this book I adopt a few
conventions:

Italics are used for emphasis and to highlight new words or define terms.

Boldface is used to indicate the key concept in a list.

A monofont is used for web and email addresses.

Also, when I refer to the psychological concept of the unconscious mind, if you prefer you can read this as the better-known term subconscious mind. Either term refers to a sort of consciousness bubbling underneath your main consciousness and which remains alert and active at all times. You may also choose to think of this mind as the soul.

Within each chapter you find a set of mental flash cards, which you’re more than welcome to replace with your own, and I encourage you to do so. The best visualizations are the ones that you create for yourself because you may find them easier to remember and may work better for you.

What You’re Not to Read

To make this book as interesting as possible. I include anecdotes and simple mental flash card visualizations throughout. You can choose to ignore these sections if you prefer because they serve merely to augment the main text of the book.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing this book, I make the following assumptions about you; I hope they aren’t too presumptuous:

You’re a human being, the same as me and everyone else on Earth.

You have aspects of your life that you want to change.

You may have tried other personal improvement systems, perhaps with less than satisfactory results.

You’re ready to move on to a new level in your life.

You want to be a happier, more confident, and more fulfilled person.

How This Book Is Organised

This book is divided into five parts, which include 21 chapters. The table of contents lists all the headings, allowing you to find the bits that interest you easily and quickly. Following is an overview of the major sections.

Part I: Introducing Creative Visualization

In this part of the book, I introduce creative visualization, explain how and why it works, and detail some of the things it can help you to attain or achieve. I also describe how you can prepare yourself so the visualizations provided in later sections have the maximum benefit.

Part II: Discovering How to Visualize

This part of the book covers the main types of visualizations, including unguided, guided, audio, visual, and written visualizations, as well as the power and purpose of positive affirmations. It also shows you how to start making changes in your life to reach your desired goals and how to choose the best times and locations to practise your visualizations.

Part III: Visualization Exercises
for a Happier, Healthier Life

In this part, I get down to the nitty-gritty and provide numerous exercises you can practise to improve your outlook on life, achieve success, and feel and express a wider range of emotions. I explain how to limit the effects of stress, anxiety, and negative emotions, how to increase your levels of energy and stamina, how to quit unwanted bad habits, and how to rid yourself of fears and phobias. I also provide many exercises to help improve your relationships with others.

Part IV: Using Creative Visualization
to Achieve Success

This part of the book concentrates on helping you to set and achieve goals, from improving the way you present yourself to others, managing public speaking, being a good leader, and motivating people, to improving your physical prowess in sport and enhancing your physique. I also deal with improving your results in education, getting a good job, and attaining promotions and pay rises. And I reveal several exercises you can practise to enhance your creativity.

Part V: The Part of Tens

This part of the book provides four chapters containing a selection of simple visualizations you can use to bring about positive changes; tips on top places to visualize; books, blogs, websites, and videos you can use to find out more about the subject; and ten of the best benefits of using creative visualization.

Icons Used in This Book

This book contains icons to indicate particularly useful pieces of information:

Under this icon, I provide practical advice for using.

This icon indicates a visualization exercise you can try for yourself.

Note these sections of text, because they contain ideas that are worth
remembering.

This icon highlights some pitfalls and errors that you want to avoid so that your change programme proceeds as smoothly as possible.

I hope that the real-life stories I include under this icon prove useful and inspiring.

I often include specific examples to help illustrate visualizations or techniques; tailor them as necessary to help yourself attain your personal goals.

Where to Go From Here

If you want to discover everything I know about creative visualization, by all means read this book conventionally from start to finish. But, as with all For Dummies books, the chapters are also self-contained so you can dive straight in wherever you like (although if you’re new to visualization, Part I provides an invaluable grounding in the subject).

So, if you just can’t wait or you’re already comfortable with the basics of creative visualization, go straight to the relevant chapter. For instance, if stopping smoking is your concern, leap to Chapter 10, and if you’re keen to work on your shyness, Chapter 12 is the one for you.

Simply use the table of contents or the index to find the right chapter or
section, and start solving your problems and improving your life.

After you’ve read this book, I believe that you’re going to realise better than ever that the world is truly your oyster and that you can achieve your goals when you put your mind to it.

So please continue to practise the creative visualization techniques because they can help you through all parts of your life. And show others how to use the techniques too, so they can also benefit from the remarkable results
creative visualization brings. Now go out and enjoy life to the full!