And Most Never Do
Back in 2007, I found myself sitting in a BBC London studio, headphones on, about to go live to millions of listeners. On paper, I must have looked completely crazy as I had pitched BBC Radio 2 three times with no business, no credentials and no media experience whatsoever.
Yet as I sat there waiting for the music to fade, instead of feeling fear and panic, I felt steady, calm and completely free of imposter syndrome.
People ask me how that was even possible and my answer is always the same. I had been meditating for years and with just three days’ notice, I chose to visualise the interview going well rather than spiral into fear. By the time I walked into that studio, I was walking into somewhere I had already been many times in my mind. I was expecting it to go really well, and it did.
That one interview changed everything. What followed has been nearly two decades of national press, television, a long-standing BBC contributor slot and celebrity clients. It all began right there in that studio and none of it would have happened without those two daily practices.
This is not ‘woo woo’, this is neuroscience
If you’re thinking this is all a bit ‘woo woo’ and not for you, let me reassure you , this isn’t just for people who are already into visualisation and meditation, it’s for everyone. Research shows that 90% of Olympic athletes use visualisation as part of their training and 97% of them credit it as contributing to their success. These are the most disciplined and high-performing people on the planet, and they choose to include visualisation as part of their daily practice.
The neuroscience backs it up, too. Studies show that the brain activates exactly the same neural pathways whether you are physically doing something or vividly imagining it. In other words, your brain cannot tell the difference between make-believe and the real thing, which means every time you visualise something with genuine feeling and focus, you are training yourself for success before it happens.
How to visualise even if you think you can’t
Many people say they can’t visualise, that they don’t see things. If I was to ask you what colour your front door is, would you see it and be able to describe it to me? It’s not that most people can’t see things; it’s more that it’s not their dominant sense. Some people are visual (seeing), some are auditory (hearing), while others are kinaesthetic (feeling) and the really good news is that visualisation works through all three senses, not just sight.
Regardless of your sensory preference, this will work for you.
Find a quiet space, sit comfortably, close your eyes, take three deep breaths in and out and let yourself relax. Then begin to imagine your desired outcome in as much detail as possible. What does it look like? See it through your own eyes, hear what’s being said around you, notice what you can feel and touch. Where are you, who is with you, how do you feel in that moment? Bring it to life through whichever sense feels most natural to you. Then sit in the emotion of it, the joy, the excitement, the love, whatever it brings up for you. That emotional feeling is the signal your brain needs to make it real.
Four different ways to meditate
The best time to meditate is first thing in the morning before your mind starts racing and last thing at night as you wind down. Even ten to fifteen minutes makes a real difference. Here are four ways to do it.
GUIDED – This is the perfect place to start if you have never meditated before and equally powerful if you have. Search YouTube or download a free app for something like guided meditation for clarity or guided visualisation for success, choose one that resonates with you and simply listen and follow along.
BREATH – Focusing on your breath is the simplest form of meditation there is. Breathe in slowly for three counts, breathe out slowly for three counts and when your mind wanders, and it will, gently bring it back. That’s it. No special training required. It sounds a bit boring doesn’t it? It’s meant to be. There’s nothing to do, nothing to sort out, no to-do-list to work through and no problems to solve. This is one of my favourites.
FEELING – This is where you focus on generating a positive emotion such as gratitude, joy, love or freedom. Remember past times when you felt this emotion, play it out in your head and let the feeling fill your body, rest in it. This is particularly powerful when combined with visualisation because your brain is not just imagining the outcome, it is feeling it too, and that combination is where the real magic happens.
WALKING – This is another favourite of mine. I use this meditation daily when I’m walking my dog. Sometimes I’ll rattle off everything I love about my life, other times I’ll feel a particular feeling such as love, happiness or joy and other times I’ll talk myself through a visualisation of how I want something to unfold.
Here is what most people get wrong, including me
I won’t pretend I have always been consistent in meditating and visualising because I haven’t. There have been times in my life when I have let both practices slip, usually when life got busy and I convinced myself I didn’t have time. And it soon showed. The clarity went, decisions felt harder and everything felt like I was wading through mud.
Here is what I’ve found to be true. It is not the practice you choose that makes the difference, it is consistent repetition. Fifteen minutes every day beats an hour here and there every time.
You are not doing these practices to make something happen, because the moment you start trying to force an outcome you create resistance and block the very thing you want. Bestselling author and law of attraction teacher Abraham Hicks describes it perfectly with an image of a cork naturally bobbing on the water. It floats to the surface effortlessly the moment you stop holding it down.
When you try to make something happen and become impatient and frustrated you hold the cork down. Meditation and visualisation are tools to help create a quiet mind and positive neural pathways, both of which allow the cork to float. Start with at least one of the practices today. Commit to at least fifteen minutes a day and watch as the most wonderful things start flowing effortlessly into your life.
About Sharon Bolt
Sharon Bolt is The Mindset Media Expert and Founder of Get Free Publicity Today. She’s spent almost two decades securing regular BBC features and national media coverage for her celebrity dog training business, Good Dogs! and uses that proven record to mentor established entrepreneurs towards the same high-level media visibility. Through her exclusive Magnetic Media Review, Sharon reveals the strategy for becoming a regularly featured authority with powerful expert positioning. Sharon writes dual columns for Sussex Exclusive on mindset/PR and dog training. Her dog training methods have been trusted by celebrity clients and over 26,000 students across 175 countries. Visit: www.getfreepublicitytoday.com
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