Mind Vision Techniques

by Dave Cheong

Personal development is hard work. If you have ever invested your time and energy towards improving yourself, you’d know that the road to being happier and more successful is not easy. Over the years, I have read many books and tried numerous techniques with varying results. The one constant thing I have observed when I have been successful in personal development is incremental change - the act of taking baby steps and building upon each victory one at a time.
I think deep down each of us has a desire to be better than we are. Maybe you wish you could be a more efficient worker, better husband, healthier etc. Some of you may even have read a few personal development books in the hope of learning secrets to be successful. For the others, this desire is just that - a wish that was never acted upon.
Perhaps you were too afraid to try. What if you failed? Perhaps you did try, but the techniques did not work or the results were disappointing. However, whatever your goal is and irrespective of whether you tried or not, the following universal truths apply:
1. Things worth attaining takes time
In this age with the Internet so easily accessible, we demand instant gratification. If we have a question, chances are we can Google it or search on Wikipedia for answers. If we need to purchase a book, Amazon is simply a click away.
However, I believe that all things worth attaining takes time.
Personal development is not something that can be rushed. After all, you are trying to change what’s core about you. Breaking bad habits and instigating good patterns is not an easy thing to do. Developing new fundamental character traits will take some time, lots of patience and hard work to succeed.
2. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear
The Chinese has a proverb. It goes “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. This is especially true for personal development. You may have read many books and even tried several techniques for a period of time, but if you were not ready for them, they won’t work for you.
For example, if you are not a disciplined person, then trying to wake up early and consistently isn’t going to be easy. The tips I’ve written about may help to an extent but if you cannot consistently adhere to the guidelines, chances are you won’t succeed.
I have personally rediscovered techniques, which did not work in the past, but do now. I believe they did not work before because I was not ready for them. Do not be discouraged. It is how the universe works. So as you become a more disciplined person or your perseverance improves, techniques which did not work before can suddenly produce spectacular results.
3. Build upon each success
Personal development is a journey. Each of us has a different journey. Our goals are different. Our backgrounds are different. The environment and circumstances surrounding our lives are different.
The thing about personal development is we build upon each success. Every victory lays the foundation for the next challenge. Along the same lines as the previous example, if your goal is to be an early riser, then discipline is a prerequisite. Set good goals that would develop this first, such as writing a journal to track the things you want to do, removing distractions or generally applying any of the other tips about how to stay focused.
4. Continual process of learning
You may have heard of Tony Robbins, David Allen and other personal development gurus. Sure they may seem to have their lives in order. One would also assume they apply productivity techniques and positive thinking on a constant basis.
However, they have spent years upon years of self reflection and perpetual learning to achieve their goals. Even so, they are continually learning, perfecting their techniques and improving their mental states all the time.
Do not expect to go from zero to hero in an instant. Take each challenge as a lesson, then build upon each lesson to constantly refine who you are, what you do and how you do it.
5. Don’t be discouraged with setbacks
When things go well, you feel happy. However, the flip side of this is when things don’t go well, you feel sad. The reality is you cannot win all the time. There will be occasions in which you just cannot accomplish a goal. Perhaps, you are too tired because of your work commitments. Perhaps, you are distracted by other things like planning a wedding. Perhaps, you are feeling down and cannot summon the motivation.
Whatever the reasons may be, do not be discouraged with setbacks. The most important thing to keep in mind is telling yourself you will try harder next time. So you’ve missed a morning by not rising early. Big deal, just try harder the next morning. Setbacks are ok, but continual setbacks are not. Do what you can to ensure you do not get trapped in a negative pattern or repeated setbacks.
6. Not all things work for everyone
I’ve always believed that each of us is inherently different. Some techniques may not work for you for various reasons. There are the reasons I’ve previously highlighted, such as not being ready for them or not having the prerequisites to ensure success.
Then there are other reasons, such as trying to apply techniques that just go against your nature or are not congruent with your goals. For example, if you are constrained by health issues, then perhaps stress is not something you wish to deal with. This may require you to live in a relatively stress free environment and being busy and constantly productive may not be the best thing for you health-wise.
The greatest thing about personal development is there isn’t a right way and a wrong way. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they’re lying to you. That’s a fact. Perhaps they want to sell more books? Perhaps they have found something that works for them? However, what works for them, may not necessarily work for you. Also, there are many ways to reach the same goals.
7. Celebrate your victories
Your mind is a complex but powerful tool. Motivation, which describes a genuine desire to accomplish something, can be fleeting and temporary. Use as many tools as you can to maintain it. When you lose your motivation, you lose your reason to try and overcome adversity. Remember that things worth attaining takes time, lots of patience and hard work.
Celebrate your victories whenever you can. I have found this to be one of the strongest techniques you can apply to maintain motivation. You are working hard for a reason. It is just human nature that we do difficult things only for a reason. So take moments even during the day to observe and enjoy the results of your hard work and use this as a platform to newer and more ambitious goals.