There are four steps when it comes to visualizing your ideal future. For creating the movie in your mind. And they are:

1) Choose your goal.
2) Visualize it clearly.
3) Set a specific deadline.
4) Commit it to God. Partner with Him.

1) Choose your goal.

Be specific. The subconscious mind is like a toddler. It needs direction, and you have to be specific. So choose your goal and make it CLEAR that that’s your goal Write it down. Say it aloud. Whatever it takes to remind yourself, constantly: “Hey. That’s our goal. Go for it.”

2) Visualize it clearly.

Once you’ve chosen your goal, round it out. Fill in all the details. What’s going to happen when. What will success look like? What will it feel like? What will you be feeling the moment you’ve reached your goal? And then work back. You’ve pictured the final moment. Now take a step back and picture the moment JUST before that one. And work your way back to where you are now, today.

For those of you who are often frozen with fear at making the next step, this is a huge help. Suddenly you’ll be able to see it in bite-sized chunks. No, you don’t have to do it all TODAY. And you can’t. You’re human. But you CAN do the next step. It’s not a huge step. It might not feel like progress, but it’s a start. And at this point? Any movement at all is progress (whether your feelings agree or not).

3) Set a specific deadline.

Don’t let your goal pass you by because you didn’t nail it down. Goals are often like Jell-O: they’re hard to nail down if you don’t solidify them. So get your goal frozen in your mind as soon as possible, and capture it on paper somewhere. Write it down. Talk to someone about when you’re going to achieve it. You might NOT hit the deadline, but this keeps you from putting that goal in the “someday” bin, where it’s been all its life. Time to take it out, dust it off, and get started. Set a deadline today.

4) Commit it to God. Partner with Him.

This last step it crucial. Without God partnering with us, whatever frustrations or disappointments or setbacks you encounter will be lonely. You read that right: I said lonely. And that’s the worst feeling in the world. God made us to partner with other people, to rely on others to help us achieve our goals. He also made us to rely on Him and His power to sustain us. He keeps our hearts beating day in and day out. He regulates our breathing. Our brains? He’s the one who makes the messages shoot through the neurons. So commit your way to Him and allow Him to lead you. He knows the roads you’re going to face along the way, and with Him as a partner you’re better equipped to navigate ‘em.

Faith in God removes tension, fear, worry and all the negative forces that hold us back from succeeding. If the most powerful force in the universe is on your side and supporting your goals, why would you fear any failure? He is in control. Even if you “fail” according to our definition of failure, He can (and often WILL) use that failure as a springboard for your future success. This might sound like some kind of a twisted riddle some of you, but until you’ve been through it you won’t understand. (This is where having faith in the midst of failure comes in.)

It isn’t magic. But it works. What we think affects every facet of our lives. So change your stinkin’ thinkin’ and start living the life God intended for you to live. It’s time to begin again. To change your life. Today.

Kevin

Recommended Teaching:

Charles Stanley’s “Reaching Your Full Potential” – A Clear Mind.
(Audio Archives. November 2008.)