People have asked me, “Frank, how are you able to do [x,y,z]?” Well and obvious answer might be with practice, persistence and patience, you will be able to eventually do what you want to do. However there is a very important step that is often left out, and this step begins far before you begin to practice. The very important step is visualization. You need to be able to mentally see yourself doing what you wish you are doing.
These days I’ve been playing badminton fairly frequently. Before I picked up a badminton racket, I visualized myself playing badminton at a very high level. In my future, I already am a proficient and skilled badminton player. The question is, what steps do I need to take in order to bring my present into that future. How do I need to train? What areas are my weak points? How can I continue to improve as a player? Instead of worrying about the future, I instead have a mad-libs method of filling in the road map towards my success.
Veni, Vidi, Sum. I came, I saw, I am. I’d like to think of these visualizations as an already accomplished future, and I need to work hard and connect the dots in order to bring my present into that future.
Why does this framework of thinking help? For me, I don’t really need to worry about the “What if” or the “can I?”. The what if become what I’ve done. The can I become I did. Having this framework of thinking has helped me become a lot more confident and determined when trying to do something. Visualization is a powerful tool!
