How To Use Your Imagination to Improve Your Performance

Photo by Nikita Kachanovsky on Unsplash

It’s the dying moments of the game. Your favourite player steps up to take the shot. He boots the ball wide and scores.

But, that is an elite performer, whose life circumstances I imagine, don’t compare to yours.

Let’s bring this closer home. Let’s think back to the day you fumbled at your performance appraisal. Or the time you got late for your job interview. How about the runner’s stomach you got at the start of the marathon. Or think back to the day you got enough courage to speak to your crush but screwed up.

Do you remember that sinking feeling as you realised that you’d blown your performance? That moment when you cursed and swore at yourself for failing at something you wanted. The frustration at things not going as per your desires?

Well, you can let yourself off the hook. There were unseen forces that affected your performance.

It wasn’t that you didn’t have a plan. No matter how vague it might have been. What you hadn’t anticipated was the influx of stress hormones. The chemicals that flooded your body at the most inopportune time.

Because understanding something rationally is very different to the lived experience of it.

During times of high-pressure, blood flow tends to move to the emotional centres of the brain. This in turn activates the fight-flight or fear response.

This evolutionary response kept our ancestors alive. In the modern-day, it’s activated in the face of perceived and real danger. Think back to that time you thought you heard footsteps as you jogged in the park. Or the tension you felt before giving a big presentation at work.

But, this response can be a double-edged sword. It can be activated by stressors that are not life-threatening. Pressures such as traffic jams, work deadlines, and family difficulties.

Added to this is the fact that this response isn’t always accurate. It might be falsely triggered in the face of a perceived threat like in the case of phobias. A person who is terrified of closed spaces might experience an acute stress response if they have to get into a lift in a skyscraper to attend a meeting. Their body might go on high alert, with their heartbeat and respiration rate increasing.

How then can we improve our performance?

One way we can do this is by employing our imagination i.e mental imagery and visualisation. Because for the brain, thinking is the same as doing. By imagining doing something we use the same neuropathways as actually doing it. The more we imagine a performance with the same sights, smells and sounds the more accurate the pathway we curve out.

Cue the science: Can you imagine yourself playing the piano?

A pioneering experiment conducted by Harvard Medical School neurologist Alvaro Pascual-Leone showed the power of mental practice.

In the study, he instructed a group of volunteers to practise a five-finger piano exercise for two hours a day over five days. He extended the experiment to another group, asking them merely to think about the piano practice exercise.

After a week, daily tests showed that the area of motor cortex devoted to the finger movements had expanded like dandelions spreading on a lawn.

The test data showed that the motor cortex had expanded in the same way, proving that mental practice had the same effect as physical practice.

Visualisation has the power to physically change the brain.

Physical creations follow mental ones

According to Dr Stephen R. Covey, all things are created twice — first in the mind, and then in the real world. Physical creations follow mental ones like homes are built according to blueprints.

In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey urges us to define clear measures of success and a plan to achieve them. The second of the seven habits implores us to ‘Begin with the end in mind’.

This means visualising a specific project the way you want it to end before you begin pursuing it. This conscious effort gives you more control over your life and circumstances.

What are the benefits of visualisation and imagery?

We learn through repetition and practice. Visualisation helps you revisit what you learned. This ingrains new knowledge into the long term memory.

When we imagine doing something we evoke the same feelings we will experience in reality. If you imagine doing something scary, you are bound to feel scared. We can evoke these feelings in practice then deal with them before time.

When we visualise an experience, we are able to visit the possibility of several outcomes. We go in with the acceptance of success or failure. By letting go of specific outcomes we are able to immerse ourselves in the journey. We don’t expect things to go a certain way.

Helps you stop existing on autopilot

The brain is an energy-saving mechanism. It automates a lot of our actions; from brushing our teeth to driving home after a long day. This ability comes in handy when dealing with ordinary activities. Yet, it can be detrimental when we are trying to change a habit or learn a new skill. This is because we can revert to familiar habits without noticing.

The process of visualization can help us direct our minds towards what we want.

Avoid repeating the same mistakes

Visualisation helps you recall what happened in the past. By going through these events you find areas you could perform better in next time.

Maintain presence of mind in high-pressure situations

It is only natural to become agitated during high-pressure situations. This can cloud our judgement and lead to irrational decisions.

But we can teach our minds and bodies not to get hijacked by our emotions.

Visualization teaches us to induce a state of calm during high-pressure situations.

Visualisation can help you develop resilience

In the face of uncomfortable situations, it’s easy to feel defeated and lose hope. When we lose hope, we lose a lot. A catalyst for change, hope helps us keep our focus on the future. It helps us stay positive in times of uncertainty.

Visualization sends blood flow to the rational centres of the brain. The areas concerned with decision making, problem-solving and general positive action.

This helps us develop resilience.

Why is it so hard to use our imagination to improve performance?

But, if there are so many benefits to be had, why do we struggle with visualization?

For one visualization requires us to slow down and deepen our focus. The exact opposite of what we are inclined to do when we are under pressure.

With this deepened focus comes the conflict of choosing one option over the other. When we set a goal we are in effect saying no to innumerable other options. When we commit to one goal we are eliminating flexibility and choice.

With so many alternatives to choose from, how do we know which one is the best option?

This leads to the dilemma of choosing one goal. Sometimes the parameters of our goal are unclear. Our goal lacks a form that we can invest our time and energy into. Compounding this is a lack of a clear why to what you are working towards.

How not to use your imagination

We use this powerful tool every day without realising it. The problem is that most of us are doing visualizations to create the life we don’t want.

Think back to the time you worried so much about something that it actually happened. When you imagined the worst-case scenarios and outcomes of an event.

This made you nervous and anxious which in turn affected your performance. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Instead of thinking negatively, why not use your mind to imagine things going well. Picture yourself handling situations with confidence; in a calm voice and upright posture.

Not only does this vision feel better, but it will also get you closer to what you desire.

Visualization in practice

So how do you do it in real life? How can you tap into the power of visualization to improve your performance?

First, you need to decide what you want. Imagine the specific situation in as many details as possible. Use all your sense in the image you create- see it, smell it, hear it, feel it and taste it.

You can close your eyes and see it in your mind. Or if you prefer you can write it all down.

Second, imagine what you’re feeling and experiencing. You’re confident and excited about the situation. Picture a positive response from those around you. See yourself giving valuable information and receiving positive feedback.

Third, identify each step that must take place for you to achieve your goal. Add each of these steps to your visualization exercise. Picture the start, the middle and the end in as much detail as you can.

Fourth, visualize daily. Aim to do a complete visualization at least once a day until the actual day arrives.

Consistency convinces your brain that what you visualize is the truth. The more you visualize something, the stronger that vision becomes. And the higher the likelihood that you’ll get what you want. Why? Because you’ve done it already.

Fifth, give yourself permission to let go of specific outcomes. Allow yourself to enjoy the process no matter, not the results. Approach your visualization with a curious and open mind.

Visualization isn’t woo-woo. It’s not something fluffy used by people who aren’t living in reality. It’s quite the opposite. It’s used by individuals from all spheres. From athletes, business leaders, musicians and surgeons. They use it to bring about positive outcomes in their lives. You too can get these benefits. You too can use your imagination and improve your performance.

And you can do it everywhere. While you’re having your morning coffee, on your commute, and at night before you go to bed.

Find what works for you. Then create the life you want with the help of visualization.

How To Use Your Imagination to Improve Your Performance