What an NFL Coach Can Teach You About Creative Visualization

Creative visualization. What does that mean? It means behaving both inwardly and outwardly as though you have already achieved your coveted goal. This means you fully experience it with all your senses as though you have already accomplished it. You can see, smell, hear, touch, and taste it. You behave as though you already have it.

What does creative visualization have to do with the NFL?

As I'm sure you know, players of the winning team are awarded big, expensive Super Bowl rings which marks the wearer as a champion. And, the players that have won these rings often continue to wear them on a daily basis throughout their life. Having earned one of these rings is a very big deal.

Well, ESPN reported that on the night before Super Bowl XLV Mike McCarthy, the Green Bay Packers' coach, made a very unusual move to motivate and inspire his team. What did he do? Well, contrary to the prevailing superstition, Coach McCarthy had the players fitted for their Super Bowl rings the night before the game.

What effect did this have on the Packers? Linebacker A.J. Hawk said the ring fitting “made things real for us.” Desmond Bishop, another linebacker, said, “We could see that it was right there. Everything we wanted was right there in our hands, literally and figuratively.”

McCarthy [who is from Pittsburgh, BTW] said after the Packers' victory that "No disrespect to the [Pittsburgh] Steelers. We respect their football team. We respect the way they play. They're a good tough physical football team. But we fully expected to win this game. This is our time."

What were the Packers players and coaches doing? They were using creative visualization to achieve their goal. And what happened? They won the Super Bowl.

What can you learn from this?

You can learn that you can do the same thing, use that same creative visualization tool. You can behave as though you have already accomplished your goal - see it, smell it, touch it, hear it, taste it, immerse yourself in it. If you do that, [know that your subconscious can't differentiate between your creative visualization of something and the real thing] your subconscious will lead you in the direction of the thing which it thinks you already have. [Note that this approach works just as well for worst case thinking so watch out!]

Are you doing this? Have you experienced yourself being fitted for your "ring"? Beyond the ring, have you visualized your life after you have had your figurative victory parade and are living your goal? Do you fully expect to reach your goal? Do you see yourself at the top?

Whatever steps you need to take to make your success real for you, take them now. The sooner you begin, the better for you.

Live long and prosper!