Designing Destiny: Mastering the Art of Visualization

For many people interested in improving their health, wellness, or fitness, the challenge is generally more mental than physical.

We approach these goals as if our success hinges on having the right workout program, the right gym, the right workout equipment, the right schedule, the right clothes, even the right protein powder or supplement.

We watch YouTube and Instagram videos of extremely fit people doing these incredible movements, performing feats of strength, and running for miles like it's nothing. They're wearing something, lifting something, throwing something that we believe is the key to their incredible physique.

Then that little inner voice starts telling us "All I need to get healthy and fit is THAT. The reason I'm not healthy right now is because I don't have THAT. Once I have IT, this whole fitness journey will be much easier. I'll just hop on Amazon now, buy it, and get started tomorrow."

Or worse... "I could never do what they're doing. They're just able to do that because they were born that way. Someone like me couldn't achieve anything like that. I've got low back pain and am tired most of the day. Why bother even trying."

Either of these sound familiar?

This leads many down one of three paths (none of which end well):

• pending more money on things that don't actually take us any closer to our goals.

• Diving headfirst into an aggressive diet or workout plan, falling off the wagon and ending up at square one.

• Assuming we just don't have what it takes and never even start.

Take a look at the people you know, maybe even yourself.

• How many people do you know with a treadmill in their basement that has slowly devolved into a makeshift clothes rack or storage shelf?

• How many people take on aggressive diets, lose 30lbs. and then gain it right back?

• How many people have you heard say "I really need to get in shape. I just ______."

"Got a problem? It's not YOUR fault. Here's a cool new thing to solve your problem."

These approaches don't work because they skip right over a critical prerequisite that's essential to long-term improvements in health and fitness. It doesn't address our VISION of WHO WE ARE as our fit and healthy selves.

Telling ourselves that a THING is all we need to get fit, that crash diet will get me thin FAST, or that "we just don't have it" is the wrong approach. It's lazy and doesn't address the root of the opportunity we have.

If you're someone that believes humans have the capacity for change - congratulations!

You've passed step 1.

If not you don't think humans have the capacity for growth and change, I might recommend sitting with that for a moment and thinking about what it means, and if you truly believe it or are just hiding behind it to avoid the real work.

If you're still with me, I'll assume you're the first person and believe that people can change.

We need to spend some time exploring our mentality, intentions, and beliefs.

Here are 3 powerful visualization exercises to help make real, meaningful, lasting change to your health and fitness:

Visualizing Your Future-self

Set the Goal

• Think 12 months out. What does your daily life look like as your "healthy self". Get into the details of what your day looks like. How are you waking up, moving through the day, eating, walking, etc. Spend 5 minutes visualizing each morning and night.

Process

• Based on what you know today, what's one step or strategy you could implement to move you one step closer to this future-state? Visualize yourself doing it and being successful.

Synergies - Action and Environmental design

• Action – Focusing on something you can do to get an outcome (morning walks, quick workouts, resisting late night snacking).

• Environmental Design – Focusing on how something gets done on it's own by way of the environment (workout clothes laid out, dedicating a space for workouts, no junk food in the house).

Key

• Use actions and environmental design as complimentary tools to make goals easier to achieve.

Visualizing Ideal Self - YOU2.0

Deep inquiry

• This future-self that's already achieved my goals, what do they look like? How do they think? What do they eat?

Define YOU2.0

• 5 skills - 5 important abilities that differentiates YOU1.0 vs. YOU2.0?

• 5 habits - what are the routines that YOU2.0 follows without fail?

• Feelings and style - how does YOU2.0 feel about health? How do they dress?

YOU2.0 as your Guide

1. When thinking about exercise – how would 2.0 prioritize this?

2. When feeling unmotivated – what would YOU2.0s advice be?

3. How you think is who you are - ask YOU2.0 for guidance on the next step.

The solution to improving health and wellness isn't more information. Most of us inherently know what we need to do.

Most Americans simply need move more, eat fewer calories, drink more water, and improve sleep.

We just get stuck in the informational overload, doom scroll cycle of modern life.

In order to achieve real, lasting success whether it be losing weight, gaining muscle, or learning to play an instrument, we need to shift our mindset and tap into the vision of who we are once we've already succeeded.

Then, all you do is reverse engineer YOU2.0 and get to work.

Keep Going.

Geoff