Unit 5: Picturing Your Goal

Now that you have completed the task of setting a goal and getting clear about what it’s going to look like when you get it, you are ready to begin the second step of the creative visualization process—picturing your goal. In this unit you will draw an actual picture of your accomplished goal using the scene you describe on page 35. This will make the image very clear and more alive for you! Once you have drawn a picture of what it’s going to look like when you get it, you will be better able to see this same picture in your mind’s eye.

Drawing Your Scene

Get out the drawing materials (paper & crayons and/or markers) you were asked to have handy in “Getting Started” on page 5. It’s now time to actually draw a picture of the happy end result of your creative visualization project. Artistic talent is not required, only a willingness to play and create a picture which will assist you in accomplishing your goal.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind as you draw:

1. Be sure to include yourself in the picture.

2. Make your colors bold and strong. A pale or “weak” image indicates that the picture is pale or weak in your mind.

3. Use the whole page—fill it up!

4. Be sure to include evidence of at least four of the seven qualities identified for your scene on pages 33-34. You may want to list the remainder of the qualities somewhere on the page.

Here are some pictures of “what it’s going to look like when I get it” from my own creativity scrapbook. Looking at them today, I can see ways some could have been improved to be more effective and why others were so powerful. I can also see some things that they revealed about me—and about my goals—which I really didn’t notice at the time. Let’s start with examples of some “don’ts.” This will really help to clarify the power of the “do’s!”

This first picture was done in the early 90’s, when my husband and I had our bookstore and learning center. I managed the business while he continued to work at his established profession, supporting the business and me while we got on our feet. What fun it was! And what an incredible amount of work! Evenings, weekends, and holidays you could usually find me at the store, busy with one project or another. While I loved the challenge and the creativity of “growing a business,” I also missed sufficient down time—away from the store. At the top of the picture below (which you cannot see) I wrote, Don’t set yourself and your enjoyment of life aside in your efforts to do your ‘life’s work’.

As you can see, I am lying in the grass beside a large body of water. There is a path crossing from one side to the other. Scattered around are flowers and I’ve placed the lower trunks of two trees at the top of the page.

Before I analyze the picture for you, I want to tell you that I never did find the balance between work and leisure that I needed while we owned the business. This picture provides some clues! First of all, I have written my goal like a lecture; it doesn’t sound like something I want so much as something I should do. It’s even written in the second person making it seem removed from me. And it doesn’t state what I want, but what I don’t want. That is my biggest error.

Another problem is that the picture is too busy. Isn’t that what I wanted to be less of? The flowers—probably representing all the little tasks I need to attend to—are scattered here, there and everywhere. And look at that huge body of water. (In the original drawing the water is much darker, but it didn’t translate well for this document—so I lightened it up.) Those of you who are into symbolism will recognize that as quite a reservoir of emotion! By putting a path in there, it looks like I have to “get off the path” to relax. And those stubby tree trunks—I’m afraid they might represent my husband and me.

But I have to admit that I look pretty relaxed. And I’m sure I chose a nature scene because I have always found being in nature to be soothing and relaxing. However, interpreting this picture today, I see the following:

¨ I am overwhelmed by my emotions—they are much larger than I am! And I don’t want to look at them. (Note how I’m facing away from the water.)

¨ I want to close my eyes and be oblivious to all the distracting little tasks of the business.

¨ To relax, I have to get off the path (take a break from my life’s work).

¨ My husband and I are solidly grounded in the business, but it’s hard to see the benefits (growth, blossoming of the tree) sometimes.

In truth, this picture doesn’t represent a goal I have so much as a situation I’m in. The goal of this picture might more accurately by put as, “To be able to tune out and ignore the business and be oblivious to my frustrations with it for a while.” That might provide some short-term relief, but not really address the long-term problem I was dealing with. Too bad I didn’t see that then! (But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.)

Now let’s look at a picture I did which illustrates my goal clearly and concisely. (And, by the way, got the job done!)

You can see at the top of the picture below that my goal was “TO ADOPT A CHILD.” I don’t recall exactly when this picture was drawn, but I’m sure it was within 18 months prior to the birth and adoption of our daughter. We had been on a waiting list for a little over a year when we got the call on Valentine’s Day telling us that we had an opportunity to commit to a child. When you get such a call on Valentine’s Day, the day of love, you can be pretty sure that it’s a good sign! Of course, we said yes. Our daughter was born six weeks later. It’s interesting to note that much of this picture was drawn with a pink pen. I was kind of hoping for a daughter!

See how simple, clear, bold, and to the point my stated goal and picture are. And look at the long arm of support I receive from my husband. (That’s definitely been part of the experience!) There is nothing in this picture that requires analysis. There are no distractions. No anticipated complications. And no subconscious information trying to make itself known!

Now compare this picture with the one below. It was drawn before we had come to the decision of adoption, while I was still working on getting pregnant (not too hard for me to do) and staying pregnant (very hard for me to do).

In the picture, I am picking up our baby from his/her crib in his/her nursery. The baby is smiling. I am smiling. I note now with amusement that I am wearing a dress, something that to me can only symbolize a professional wardrobe, implying that I am working. What you can’t see is that the crib is mostly pink (again, that "wanting a girl" thing).

This picture wasn’t very effective for me. Looking back, I can clearly see why. For one thing, at the time I drew it I was overwhelmed with the business yet still harboring the fantasy that I could care for a new baby and continue my busy professional life! Notice how I am holding the baby. Yes, my intent was to make it look as if I was picking him/her up from a nap. But it looks more to me today as if I was holding him/her at “arm’s length.” Most likely, holding him/her away from me until I had the time and energy available to take on the new role of mother!

Now let’s take a look at one last picture. This one is a lot of fun for me to show you because it’s a picture of what I am experiencing right now as I write this! On the next page, you will find a picture I did to help create the goal of, To have a computer in my home and time to work on my book project.

In the picture you can see the computer system (very dominant in the scene), me working at the computer (I’m pretty solidly there), and an enlargement of what’s on the screen—obviously (to me) material from my book, The Art of Creative Visualization: A Self-teaching Workbook. The book had already been written, published, sold through the business, and included as a part of my workshop offering. But it needed a little sprucing up. For one thing, I wanted to take advantage of the cleaner look afforded by the new word processing packages on the market. And, I wanted to put more pictures in it—including these examples of pictures for this unit. In fact, the unit you are reading right now—the unit that has received the greatest revisions—is Unit 5! That is, to the best of my memory, completely coincidence! (Ah, yes, but what is coincidence…?)

I even went so far as to write some of the qualities I wanted at the lower right of the picture. They are undisturbed, comfortable, everything I need is handy/provided, highly creative time for me, and work near window for view. I now have this computer system, complete with scanner to scan my pictures into this chapter. While my daughter is at pre-school and napping, I can work undisturbed. I’m certainly comfortable. Everything I need is handy and provided (thanks to Gateway). With the time, energy and technology I need at my fingertips, it’s definitely been a highly creative time for me. And there is a very large picture window to my left out which I can see our lovely back yard, complete with birds and squirrels. I had filed this picture away when we moved a year ago and was completely delighted when I pulled it back out to see how marvelously I had achieved my goal.

Now, it’s your turn. Start drawing!

When you have finished your drawing, place it where you will see it regularly and be reminded of your goal. I recommend the refrigerator because we usually pass by that fixture at least once a day. However, you may have another spot in mind for displaying your picture.

Sharing Your Picture

If there is someone in your life who you fully trust and who you know supports you, share your picture with him or her. Tell them about the scene and the qualities that you’ve included. It’s helpful to verbalize about your goal in this way. However, if you cannot be sure that you will be supported and understood, simply enjoy the scene on the refrigerator (or wherever) for yourself. Others may not understand what you are doing and may deliberately or unknowingly say or do things to discourage you from believing that this technique is of any value. While you are at this stage of the learning process, you need to be able to playfully explore new territory, even if it seems a little silly at times.

Once you have finished your picture to your satisfaction, displayed it where you will see it, and, if appropriate, shared it with someone, you may move on to Unit 6, where you will learn how to most effectively use visualization to focus on your image.

NOTE: It’s perfectly okay to change your scene altogether and replace it with a new one you like better. Just be sure to follow the guidelines given and include the qualities.

Unit Follow-up Activities

1. Continue to practice progressive relaxation.

2. Write in your journal.

Go to Unit Six