If you don’t know already about the Ant and the Elephant, here is a quick refresher. When performing 1 second of conscious thought, your brain uses about 2,000 neurons. When performing 1 second of subconscious thought, your brain uses 4,000,000,000 neurons. Thus, by visualizing successful outcomes, your brain begins to make the process easier to succeed. I realized yesterday that by allowing myself to see a different vision, my performance changed dramatically. Here are a few examples.
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Exercise
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Imagine focusing on a finish line
- When we think about jogging in place or posing in warrior 1, we (or at least I) usually only see beyond the pain that is in my legs or arms. However, instead of focusing on the jogging itself, if you visualize running the last leg of a marathon, you’re in first, but only by a short lead, you find the strength to push through.
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Cooking / Preparing Meals
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Imagine making this meal for Bobbie Flay
- Sometimes preparing meals can be exhausting just thinking about. Instead of drudging through the routine of adding salt, or waiting for water to boil, etc. focus on the end product and making it the absolute best you can. This doesn’t mean that you have always prepare expensive meals. It just means to put excellence into whatever your doing, whether grilling a steak or making mac and cheese from the box. This may even help when shopping at the grocery store.
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Going to work
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Imagine that your job is vital for the company’s success
- This may be true for some of you, but I know when I was one of the worker bees in the company, I didn’t put my all into it because I figured that my job wasn’t that important. Check out some of these statistics regarding time management. In actuality, this statement isn’t far from the truth. Each time you show up for work and do the best you can do, the company succeeds. Imagine how much money could be saved if we all worked as though the life of the company depended on it.
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Conversations
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Imagine that the conversation you are having right now is possibly the last you will ever have.
- This isn’t meant to produce feelings of mournfulness, but more to inspire you to make your words count. I can remember vividly when my wife and I got into an argument before church and she stomped out of the door because of my poor behavior. As she drove away with the kids, I thought, “What if that is the last time I get to speak to her and she hits a deer on the way.” Oddly enough, she did hit a deer that morning. Everyone was okay, but it definitely made a difference in my thinking. Your relationships are precious because life is. Take the time with each conversation to make it meaningful.
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Again, these suggestions can be used in mostly all aspects of life. Take the time to see the bigger picture and to visualize successful outcomes with all you do. Imagination isn’t dead, just dormant. Re-awaken it and see the potential in everything.
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