Bodybuilding Forums

On a recent article by lifehack (here), it spoke about the science of setting goals and had this to say about visualization:

On a more positive note, the fact that the brain rewards our attentiveness by releasing dopamine means that our brain is working with us to direct us to achievement. Paying attention to your goals feels good, encouraging us to spend more time doing it. This may be why outcome visualization — a favorite technique of self-help gurus involving imagining yourself having completed your objectives — has such a poor track record in clinical studies. It effectively tricks our brain into rewarding us for achieving our goals even though we haven’t done it yet!

This doesn't seem right to me since I have had success with visualization since it helped keep me focused, gave me the belief that I can achieve my goals and that they were nearer than I thought. How was your experience with visualization?

I'm sure it varies from person to person - but to me visualization is the physical manifestation of my goal. Basically, if I visualize myself at 195lbs, I have a very specific "build" in mind. Even if I get to 195, and that build I'm looking for isn't there, I don't feel as though I have "won" anything. I will continue trying until I hit that goal.
However a technique that seems to work for me is to set small goals, and not worry about visualizing them. Just set them. For me, it was 5lb intervals. Every time I lost 5lbs, I was happy. I would give myself one nice dinner out, or something like that. However, that's just the small-scale goals. My visualized goal is my final goal, and the reward is so much more than one meal out. That goal is something that I'm striving towards, and rewarding all the little things that I did to get there.

Visualization does "work", depending on how you measure it's success. As with anything, studies conflict. You'll find one that supports a thing and one that doesn't for nearly any subject.

I've always looked at visualization as one of many tools in your self-development bag-o'-tricks. It works well for me in the sense that it puts me in a state closely resembling the actual manifestation of the goal. Affirmations, however, don't always do the trick for me. You have to find out what works for you (much like any other skill.) For me, visualization is powerful. But perhaps for those without the ability or desire to focus powerfully on creating that visual, not so much.

I also find that the ways we engage the tools have a lot to do with their success. For example, as regards changes to your physical vehicle- seeing the changes as a third party looking at you is difficult to maintain and perhaps not as effective. How often do you see yourself like this? Your subconscious mind doesn't really understand this. I feel it's better to approximate your normal perceptual state as closely as possible. See your body as you wish it to be, as you see your body now - with your own eyes, from your current perspective. See your perfect body as you look down at it, as you look at it in the mirror. Feel your body as it will feel when it's how you want it to be. Make the visualization experience 3-dimensional, tactile, as real as possible.

My .02. Good topic.

TW

I find that Outcome Visualization is much less effective than Procedural Visualization.

Outcome Visualization, which the lifehack article describes, is more-or-less, "imagine that you have already achieved this goal." This is Tiger Woods envisioning himself standing on the 18th green on Sunday, holding the trophy, when he hasn't teed off yet on Thursday.

Procedural Visualization is powerful. You can think of it as "imagine yourself preforming a task perfectly." This is Tiger Woods visualizing the perfect swing and ball flight. He does it before he starts moving the club back, or even when he's not on the course. This is when you take time during the day, outside of your workout, to deliberately picture the perfect rep from start to finish.

I've achieved the best results by visualizing my exercise routines. I try to stay away from dwelling on visualizing my ideal body, and instead track progress through metrics - weight and body fat percentage.

By the way, sorry for all the golf references. I know we're not all golfers (I'm not!), but Tiger seemed like the most accessible sports super-star for our international community.

So effective that it creates our reality, good/bad/whatever. We each visualise continually, through powerful filters/shapers... beliefs. Some beliefs we are conscious of, others, the most powerful, passionate ones, are cemented in our subconscious. Many of them are societal, cultural, or peer formed. The need for acceptance has powerful, survival based roots. What some groups of people unconsciously accept as normal, other groups unconsciously accept as abnormal. For instance, many cultures think it is filthy, repugnent and unhealthy to use handkerchiefs, tissues and toilet paper. Those cultures that do use them think it is filthy and repugnent and unhealthy to spit, or clear your nose in public, or to use your hand to clean yourself after the toilet.

Some people in the west will consciously assert and believe that they aren't religious or Christian. Yet, it, Christianity subconsciously, passionately pervades our whole societal structure. A quick read of the constitutions and laws the West and its shaping institutions obey will quickly highlight it. Our visualisation of who we are and what we can do is powerfully shaped by subconscious belief. Ingrained patterns and habits.

For various reasons, some people are able to override the subconscious beliefs that they feel aren't of any use. One fact of life here on earth is that everything is constantly changing. Change is constant, natural. Changing beliefs is natural, powerfull. Tapping into an amasing powerfull force.

The power of visualisation, is that if used properly, it can quickly create a whole new set of newly desired, passionate, subconscious beliefs, a whole new set of more enjoyable, more usefull habits. Some people passionately believe it, so guess what? Some people passionately disbelieve it, so guess what. Some are able to ignore, be free of mass conditioning, and do the 'impossible'. Which in the right conditions can sway others, and others, and others, and is suddenly, 'possible'. But, in reverse, there are those that visualise the possible as impossible, no matter what. Visualisation is amasing. The trick is being aware and understanding it. Feelings, passion... emotion...focus. Those are the keys to visualisation.