The secret weapon of Olympians and elite performers — and how you can use it.

“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

— Napoleon Hill

Close your eyes. Relax. Imagine you are a basketball player, standing at the free throw line. Feel the dots on the ball, the leather in your hands. Picture the sweat on your brow, your heart rate, the lights shining down on you. In one fluid movement, you shoot the ball, arms extended, ball flying through the air, then arcing, gliding, falling through the hoop. Swish.

Open your eyes. Just by visualising this scene, your free throws have improved.

This is the power of imagery. It is a skill and a tool which is used by Olympians, elite performers and CEOs alike. However, you don’t have to be any of these to benefit from imagery. In fact, you don’t need much training at all. I’m here to teach you what it is, why it is important, and, most importantly, how you can use it to improve your life with your eyes closed.

What is imagery?

When we daydream, our mind wanders to scenes of our past or of something we wish to happen. This is imagery, used subconsciously and without intention. It is the skill of reliving a memory or imagining yourself completing an action or a goal. By consciously using imagery, you can realise its benefits. When doing so, you picture precisely what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it. This purposeful use of imagery can help to develop not only your physical skills but also your mental skills.

Use of this skill is sometimes referred to as visualisation. However, visualisation — that is, imagining a scene in clear visual detail — is just one component of imagery. The benefits which can be achieved by the use of all your senses greatly exceed that of visual images alone. The vividness of your sight, sound, touch, taste, smell — and of your mood, emotions and thoughts — can create images far more lifelike and evoke a far greater response.

A scientific case for imagery

The results are in — most top performers use some form of mental imagery training. Why is this? Because it works. We know that it works, and better yet, we know how it works.

There is a strong scientific basis for imagery. The use of imagery in sports is sometimes described as ideomotor training. The basis for this training is the principle of ideomotor reactions. It states that imagining a physical movement actually produces involuntary muscle contractions associated with that movement. This is why Josh Waitzkin, former taijiquan world champion, could continue to train his arm even while it was in a cast, broken and immobile. This is why a diver intuitively imagines their exact movements prior to a dive. In simple terms, if you imagine yourself moving, your body will respond as if it were.

The results of imagery training have been studied widely by scientists and psychologists. One of many studies into the benefits of imagery was undertaken on a set of basketball players. These players were divided into three groups, and over 30 days:

• the first group did no practice,
• the second group physically practiced their free throws,
• the third group visualised themselves completing every free throw, but never practiced or played in that time.

After several weeks, each player’s throw accuracy was measured — and the results were astonishing. As expected, the first group showed no improvement. However, between the latter two groups, the improvement in free throw accuracy was practically identical (24% vs. 23%)! Without touching a basketball, the third group improved just as much as those who physically practiced.

In his book on the psychological processes of fencing, Olympic coach and sports psychologist Aladar Kogler writes on the use of imagery. As he notes, after several athletes performed poorly at their first Olympics, “they created vivid images, both of the pressure they anticipated feeling and of their successful response to the pressure. These imagery exercises helped the athletes handle pressure and perform well at their second Olympic Games.” This insight alludes to one of the broader applications of imagery — the development of mental skills.

How to change your brain

Clearly, imagery can be used to develop physical skills. If you’re learning to play guitar or shoot free throws, you should make imagery practice part of your routine. It is free, quick, and wildly beneficial. However, the benefits of this practice are not limited to sports and music alone. Imagery is a powerful tool for practicing and developing all of your mental skills. You can use it to improve your motivation, belief, positive self-image, as well as skills such as goal setting, focus, and emotional management.

Why does imagery affect your mental performance? Consider the conventional wisdom about willower. We are taught that if we have a strong enough will, we can achieve anything. This is not true. Willpower can only affect the voluntary functions of your body (your motoric nervous system) — about 10% of your body’s functions. The remaining 90% (your autonomic nervous system) is beyond your immediate control. To increase your odds of success in all you do, you need to find some way to influence this 90%.

This is where imagery can be used — by changing your brain through your thoughts. All your actions begin as images and thoughts. These are the source of your emotions, and your emotions directly affect your behaviour. While you cannot control your involuntary functions, you can greatly influence them through using images and thoughts. Like any other muscle, your brain can be trained.

A step-by-step guide to using imagery

Here are the 6 steps for using imagery to improve yourself. It’s a simple process, and once you’ve learnt it, you’ll be able to apply it to any skill or situation you like.

1. Find a suitable time and place

Find yourself a place that you will be able to relax undisturbed for at least 20 minutes. If you can’t find 20 minutes, find 10 minutes. Make practicing at this place a habit.

2. Get comfortable

Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes, and allow your muscles to relax. Breathe.

3. Start simple

When you are skilled at imagery, you can use it to create vivid images in your mind. To get to that point, you need to develop your imagination. You can do this by starting with simple images.

Here are some exercises to develop your imagination. As vividly as possible, using all your senses, imagine the following objects or scenes. Hold them sharply in your mind for at least 5 seconds.

• A black circle on a white background.
• A flower sitting in a vase.
• The crackling, flaming wood of a campfire.
• Your house or apartment in lifelike detail.
• Sitting on a beach, the warm soft sand beneath you. Looking out into the sea, imagine its curling waves, the people swimming, the clouds drifting across the horizon.

You can also create your own simple exercises. Think about scenes which are familiar to you, and work on making them appear vivid.

4. Assess your visualisations

Think back on the images you produced in the previous exercise. Were they sharp and vivid? Were all of your senses being used?

If your images aren’t yet clear and lifelike, that’s okay. Keep practicing with your simple exercises. Soon enough, you’ll be able to reproduce the scenes in vivid detail, and you’ll be ready to receive the most benefit from imagery.

5. Decide on your scene

Make it clear exactly what you want to visualise. Set your intention before you start. For example, if you are looking to improve your focus, you should imagine a time when you were intensely focused. Picture where you were and how you were feeling. If you are looking to improve your basketball free throws, you should recall a scene where you completed the action perfectly.

If you can’t find an example in your past, create one in your mind. Modify past scenes, or create new scenes in which you perfectly and effortlessly complete whatever action you choose.

6. Imagine

Once you have settled on what your scene will be, imagine it with as much detail as possible. Your imagery should be:

• Positive.
• Detailed.
• From your own perspective.

Remember to utilise all your senses. Include not only physical details, but also your mental state, your emotions, your mood.

Close your eyes, relax, and imagine.

---

And that’s it.

To master a skill, you first need to imagine yourself completing the action, perfectly.

To achieve a goal, you first need to imagine yourself achieving that goal.

As with most powerful skills, imagery has a compounding effect. The more you practice it, the greater its benefits. Make a habit of it. Make it part of your schedule. It’s the most productive you’ll ever be lying down.

---

In closing…

There are many tools you can use on the path to a better life. Of course, you should set goals, have a schedule, and develop habits. However, you now have another tool at your disposal — imagery. Thousands of successful people use this tool each day to realise their goals. Imagery leverages the astounding power of your mind to change yourself for the better.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.”

— Albert Einstein

This is imagery. It is your imagination. With your mind, you can begin to improve yourself and your world.

It isn’t difficult to learn. In fact, you can do it with your eyes closed. Close your eyes, relax, and imagine what you can become.

All Rights Reserved for Braden Moore