One hour of visualization is equivalent to seven hours of physical practice.

If there is something you need to accomplish (give a speech, ask for a raise, close a deal) imagine yourself doing it.

Do it before you go to sleep, once you wake up and several times throughout your day.

Visualizing yourself completing an action is an accelerated way of "practicing" the action.

And everyone knows that practice makes perfect.

~ Lili Balfour reading the Mind Movies, The Secret to Visualization slideshow

I have found this to be very true with horseback riding, Adam! Whenever I daydream about riding, I find that I ride much better the next time I go.

tried it with Google, i didn't get the job. but i'm still a believer. of that paragraph I mean.

I don't know what evidence there is for the 7 to 1 ratio but it sounds pretty fishy to me.

There is something about visualization that makes magic happen... but I think, only if followed by preparation and opportunity. Just like hard work does not guarantee success, visualization does not guarantee you will accomplish what you want, but both give you a push in the right direction...

It also work for actual physical work-out. Believe it or not, but some studies have shown that visualizing work-out and pumping weight increase muscle build-up in a non-negligible way, obviosuly not 7x but I believe it was something over 10%.

Not sure about the ratios but I do believe in Lili Balfour and http://www.facebook.com/mindmovies

Yeah, I am good with visualization as a tool, I just get uncomfortable when people start with the x times more effective statistics :)

I sure hope Obama is visualizing a million job creation... and I hope certain Republican candidates are visualizing early retirement.

Visualization encourages synapse growth and myelin production. It's the same reason that thoughtless practice is less effectual than focused practice. I suspect it's also the physical reality behind a lot of eastern medicine & philosophy. Qi Gong comes to mind.

Author's Note: Please take my comments with a grain of salt and be kind. I've spent some time over the years listening to old hippies living in Marin.

Visualization leads to great things happening. You put the positive energy out there so the universe responds accordingly. If you believe with utter conviction within your soul and entire being, anything is possible. And I've actually seen some amazing feats/accomplishments come from visualizing/believing in the future. Happy to discuss in person at a 106 event anytime:) Thanks, Adam - awesome topic.

Thanks for taking the time to create such a great piece of advice. I too am a believer and putting focused energy and belief in things will increase 1000 to 1 over you just doing something with no confidence. Just saying... Don't hate... appreciate :) 

I like that line: "Don't hate. Appreciate!"

My family was good friends with a priest who was captured as a POW. To stay sane, every day he imagined playing his favorite golf course. He would imagine every step of the course, every shot as if he were taking it in real time. When he was released, he played a round of golf on that course and his game had improved... even though he hadn't picked up a club in years.

In other words, Lili Balfour seems to be on to something!

I don't usually talk about this or share it, but maybe this is valuable to the 106 Miles community.

Jack Nicklaus has said: “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head”. Even heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, used different mental practices to enhance his performance in the ring such as: “affirmation; visualization; mental rehearsal; self-confirmation; and perhaps the most powerful epigram of personal worth ever uttered: “I am the greatest””.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/flourish/200912/seeing-is-believing-the-power-visualization

Thanks Arthur -- I found some other great quotes along these lines and made a best quotes convo. ;)