Visualization ➠ Result

During a conversation with my dear friend, Deanna Phelps (opens in a new link), co-founder of the Hadron Group, Inc. in St. Louis, I gained awareness of how the time frame between visualization and result changes depending upon whether your effort is subconscious or conscious.

Subconscious effort

We’ve all had the experience where something we thought about doing, or something we may have wanted, suddenly appeared as an opportunity. It’s a marvelous, often surprising, feeling.

One reason that it’s so surprising is that while we had given some thought to what we wanted, we had not consciously taken action to make our dream a reality. Yet it happened. As we look back we can see how we did move in that direction, but not intentionally. That’s because the effort was solely directed by our subconscious mind. There was no intentional effort put forth.

Another reason that it’s so surprising is the time interval between when we had the thought and when the opportunity actually presented itself is large, years if not decades between when the thought occurred and the opportunity presented itself. 

Let’s contrast that with the conscious effort.

Conscious effort

With the conscious effort visualization is more than a thought or idea, it’s the impetus for a plan of action. Our idea gains clarity as we begin to lay out a course of action and time frames for executing that plan.

Once the plan is complete we begin executing it consciously. This conscious effort has the effect of accelerating achievement of the result we desire. In other words, it shortens the time interval between visualizing and attaining the result.

What does this mean for you?

For you

As ideas come to you, whether they be ideas for a new vocation or avocation, ask yourself “How important is this to me? Is it important enough to for me to develop and execute a plan of action?”

If the answer to both questions is “Yes,” then by all means employ conscious effort in order to minimize the time between visualization and result. If the answer is “No,” then choose to allow your subconscious mind to work on this idea as you apply conscious effort to more intriguing interests. It’ll be a slower process, but choosing not to effect a plan of action doesn’t mean that you’re precluded from getting the result. It simply means that it’s likely to be a longer time interval between idea and realization.

For our kids

When you hear kids say “I wonder if I should…?” or “I’d really like…?,” ask them:

• Is it important enough to you to lay out a plan of action, then execute that plan?”
• If so, make a conscious effort to create a plan, set time frames and begin working the plan.
• If not, your subconscious mind will work on the idea but getting the result may be years down the road.
• Which would you prefer?

These simple questions will not only make kids aware of the difference between conscious and subconscious choices and the results each produces, it teaches them a process for evaluating ideas that come to them throughout the course of their lives.

Helping them make conscious choices assures that they’ll lead lives of greater joy because they’ll experience fewer instances in which their interests and desires go seemingly unfulfilled as they await the result from their subconscious mind.

Let others know that you love them by sharing this blog post. They’ll appreciate that you care.

Readers would love to see your thoughts and experiences in a comment below.

If you’d like to enjoy great confidence, check out our Confidence Self-Study programs (opens in a new link). 

If you’d like to enrich the lives of others by teaching them to be more confident, check out our Teaching Confidence Instructor Certification program (opens in a new link).