How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching | Page 458

What is Visualization?
It is the use of the imagination through pictures or mental
imagery to create visions of what we want in our lives and how
to make them happen. Along with focus and emotion it becomes
a powerful, creative tool that helps us achieve what we want in
life.
Used correctly it can bring about self-improvement, maintain
good health, help you perform well in sports, and accomplish
your goals in life.
In sports, mental imagery is often used by athletes to improve
their skills by picturing the achievement of a specific feat, such as
hitting or shooting a ball, skiing a hill, swimming or running a
race, among other things.
Using it as a technique invariably results in a much better
performance and outcome. This also holds true in business or in
life such as in delivering a speech, asking for a raise or any other
situation that requires preparedness and forethought.
How does it work?
Visualization or mental imagery works because when you
imagine yourself performing perfectly and doing exactly what
you want, you physiologically create neural patterns in your
brain, just as if you had physically performed the action. The
thought can stimulate the nervous system in the same way as the
actual event does.
Performing or rehearsing an event in the mind trains it and
creates the neural patterns to teach our muscles to do exactly
what we want them to do.

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