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Use the science of visualization to crush your goals! Visualization is the practice of envisioning a positive mental experience in order to achieve it in the real world.

The Science of Visualization

“If you can see it and believe it, it’s a lot easier to achieve it”, proclaims Oprah.“A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks he becomes”, taught Gandhi.While these lofty quotes were intended to inspire and motivate, now they’re backed by science. Studies suggest that goal-oriented imagery contributes to an individual’s ability to maximize their desired potential.Science has demonstrated that everyday experiences change and rewire the human brain— and these experiences don’t have to be strictly physical. Visualization is a mental experience which immerses an individual into an imagined real-world-feeling scenario in their mind. Routinely using visualization stimulates neural pathways for the connection of brain cells.

The adult human brain an estimated 100 billion brain cells— each cell connects with around 10,000 other brain cells. Together, these connections form a complex network of connectivity which performs all brain functions including thought, behavior, movement, communication and more. Meaning that when you drive to work; mentally recite a speech; or learn an instrument, there’s a designated network of brain cells working together to make that happen.These connections change overtime, either strengthening or weakening, this is known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity follows the “use-it or lose-it rule,” which means that often-used connections are consistently strengthening, and rarely-used connections are consistently weakening. So whether you’ve driven to work for the first time or the 100th time; rehearsed a speech for 5 minutes instead of 25 minutes; or practiced the piano for 5 hours versus 500 hours— your brain connections will reflect that.

The more you do a certain activity (either physically or mentally), the more your brain strengthens its connections for that specific activity. If you stop pursuing a certain activity, your brain will start to weaken and eventually eliminate the brain cell connections for that activity.