Page 86 - Hard Goals

Animated 77

at fi rst, start by thinking solely about the graphic representation
of your goal. Once you get that picture, start to add some detail
to really make it vivid in your mind.
I created the following nine dimensions to help you really
bring your animated goal to life by focusing on different aspects
of the visual representation or image of your goal. (I don’t expect
to turn everyone into an artist, but these questions are not dis-
similar to what an art teacher might ask a student.) We’ll start
with the most concrete and then move into the fi ner details.

• Size: How big is your picture or the things you see in
your visualization of your goal? Are you living in a small or big
beach house? Is your “better than the iPad” invention bigger
than the Kindle? Is your cutting-edge electric car the size of a
Lumina or an Escalade? How many square feet is your “third
place” coffee shop? Is it bigger or smaller than your kitchen at
home?
• Color: What colors do you see? Color is especially impor-
tant in stirring up meaning and emotion for your goals. It affects
us each individually on a very deep unconscious level. Even a
single color can radically affect our moods, perceptions, and
thoughts. So look closely at the picture of your goal so you
see everything that’s there. For instance, is your skin tanned
after losing all that weight, since you’re now spending so much
time in a bathing suit out by the pool? Or just how blue is the
ocean outside your new beach house? You might even decide to
emphasize certain features of your goal with special colors to
create greater excitement. Or downplay some aspects of your
goal that might otherwise deter you by setting them in black and
white. If strawberry cheesecake is your diet weakness, seeing
yourself turning it down in black and white may make it easier