Visualizing Success: A Blog Guest
When I saw this yesterday on author Marcia Colette's blog, I knew I had to have her as a guest over here. Marcia writes paranormals, and she has been published by Parker Publishing. However, she has a goal of landing a dream agent. To that end, she has a wall in her office that she uses to visualize her goal. I love it! So I decided to ask her a few questions about visualization.
1. Marcia, I have to say I love your wall. Tell me about its purpose--what's up there? Why?
"In your face" is pretty much the purpose behind the wall. These are my dreams agents. They've been on my radar for years, existing only as a name on a spreadsheet. I needed to bring that spreadsheet to life. So, I clipped their bios and taped them to my wall as a constant reminder for me to keep my eye on the prize.
2. What does it "say" to you when you walk in the office?
It's not so much of what it says, but what it shows me. Among their list of fabulous authors, I see my name up there with a place holder for my book that says "Coming in 2010". It also reminds me to take one dream at a time and focus all of my attention/energy on that. When that one is fulfilled, I can focus on the next wall, which will be the publishing house of my dreams. The walls I have planned just get better from there.
3. Do you have moments when the wall sustains you?
Oh yeah. In fact, I had a sustaining moment only a few hours after I had put it up. A project I had submitted this past spring had received a rejection. The wall served as a reminder of why this particular story was important to me and not to give up on it. In fact, it made me sit down and put together a work schedule for the coming weeks. People can knock down dreams, but they can't knock down my wall. That's what I call sustaining.
4. Does it change? How? As dreams are realized, what could you see yourself adding to the wall?
The wall will grow bigger. While those are my top agents, they're the ones who allow e-mail/form submissions. The ones who only do snail mail queries will be added next. So, it'll increase as I put together the submission packages. Once I've crossed the agent hunt off my list, the wall will come down, but another will replace it. That one will be focused on publishers.
5. Why do you think visualization is so powerful? Have you used this technique for long?
Regular visualization doesn't work for me as much as the wall has. It's hard for my goal to be out of sight and out of mind if it's always in my face. Not only that, but I feel like those dozen or so eyes are always watching, reminding of my dream. Heck knows putting it up certainly can't hurt anything. Besides, I believe in my current project enough to give it every chance possible. If that means building a wall, then so be it.
I have to thank Marcia. This really inspired me. Lately, I have been in a funk. Tired. Demonized (regular blog readers and those who read this know why). All around my desk are pictures of my family and friends, candles, Buddha statues, plants, my lucky clock (long story), and taped-up quotes. My desk area is a happy place for me usually. But I don't do visualizations of dreams, of what comes next. Maybe a tiny part of me is afraid of being disappointed. No more!
Thoughts? Do you use any visualization techniques? Do you make it concrete like Marcia's wall? Share. And then go out and buy Marcia's book.
24 comments:
I haven't done this yet, but it seems to be very "in." It's also called a Dream Board. I can see it as a constant reminder to strive.
I'm very visual and think it would work for me. What I use now to motivate myself is some of the writing blogs I read. It is a constant reminder of who and how I want to be. As for agents, I have a list of dream agents as well but moreso than a dream agent is the dream of finishing my manuscript. One step at a time I guess!
I do actually have some of this, although at the moment it's more a conscious effort to remember what my specific goals are. And yes, I do often write those goals down.
In the past I even did affirmations every day, writing them down 10 times, something like: I will publish a novel and be a full-time writer.
I think it focuses your mind.
Peter Bowerman, the author of "The Well-Fed Writer" commented that one year he decided he wanted to make $100,000 a year. So he broke down how much money he would need to make a month and a week and each day, and let's say for the sake of argument he was talking 50 weeks of 5 day workweeks, so he needed to make $400 a day.
And he put a sign up on his bathroom mirror with the breakdown so he'd see it in the morning when he was shaving and it said:
Do you know where today's $400 is coming from?
I I think that can be a good idea. I know that I have monthly financial goals for my writing that help focus my efforts as well.
Great idea.
The other day my son wrote...
"Bloodthirsty fun!"
--The New York Times
...on the title page of my WIP.
He's dreaming big for me. :)
Hi Amy:
I am pretty visual too. During each of my four labors and deliveries, I had my "happy place" picture. Of course, I still wanted my epidural. LOL!
E
Mark:
Because I have college to pay for--I like that a lot. Specific, taped up. Affirmations. Love it.
E
Jude:
That is so awesome!
E
I love what Jude's son did! I'm going to do something like that.
I want to do a visualization board, or even a notebook. But Marcia's right. It's more In Your Face when you use a whole wall.
Edie:
That's what I love about it. NO AVOIDING IT!
E
James Patterson's agent commented that she/he knew he was going to be big when he took the New York Times Bestseller List, rubbed out the #1 spot, put his title and name there and gave it to her.
I don't suppose it hurts.
I'm a big believer in these sorts of things, whatever form they take. I think you have to name it to claim it ... and the more specific, the better.
I've don't have a board (but it's a great idea). Instead, I have a note taped right above my computer with a very specific goal laid out. It felt good to write down, but also a little nerve wracking, 'cause here I was, publicly committing myself to a lofty goal. And once it's out there, I can't take it back. Anyway, I'll let you know if three years if it works out. :)
JVZ
mark:
I really do believe in the power of positive thinking. You still have to do the legwork. But believing you can do it is half the battle.
E
JVZ:
THAT'S IT. Proclaiming it is SCARY, Because then you have to own it, and if it doesn't happen then you feel . . . like an idiot. But that's only if you even allow for the possibility of it NOT happening. And I swear the answer is there. You just don't allow the doubt to creep in.
My goal is going up.
E
I have a board. And I do daily visualizations. And when I think back to how my life was before I did this- well, there's a definite before & after quality. So, I'm sticking with it!
LOVE what Jude's son did!!!
I love your wall, Marcia... It's so funny because I've been thinking of doing something similiar - my desk is in our living room, so instead of using the wall I'm planning on using a canvas - I want to paint it with designs in the background, something fun, and then tape my current goals to it and hang it above my desk - that way as the goals are reached they can be taken down to make room for new ones, and maybe put in a journal as a reminder to be thankful for what I've acheived...
This is so funny that you've posted on this because I've been ruminating alot on positive thinking the last few months. I haven't read 'The Secret' but what I'm getting out of it is that the dream board is a constant way to reinforce positive thinking, and the idea is to think of something as an actuality today rather than a goal for the future...
Here's another ponderence, positive thinking and visualization is a tenet of Wicca / Strehga / Witchcraft spellcasting... and also the basis for all types of prayer. I find it interesting that all types of belief actually have that common ground. The difference in say Christian prayer is that the requests are humble and give the power to God - or are said with the caveat that it has to be His/Her will, where as positive visualization and pagan practices often emphasize that the power is with the petitioner...
Well, that was long winded. But basically, I feel like it doesn't matter what your beliefs are, a positive attitude can only help...
"People can knock down dreams, but they can't knock down my wall. That's what I call sustaining."
I love that remark, Marcia!
I did a beautiful dream board once. Loved it, and it inspired me. I still love it, but I don't want those things anymore. I can't bear to get rid of it, though!
Marcia's and Edie's (and now Erica's) post totally got me started on one in my new writing room yesterday. My dreams tend to be too lifestyle-oriented (ie: write better, write 5 hours, read 3 hours, practice piano, tkd and yoga every day, qt with DH, learn cello, etc.) and not outward enough. I was pretty focused to get my name in Borders, but once I did, it didn't drive me anymore.
I need to dream more tangibly.
Hi Alyson:
I've always written affirmations--and I've noticed the same thing.
E
Hi Merry:
Very true. It's all positive energy--prayer, chanting . . . aiming for serenity and positivity,
E
Hi Spy:
Post pictures! I loved seeing your new writing space!
E
Love the board too! I haven't created one yet, but they're inside of me. My daughter and I keep saying how we need to make a dream board, though. I believe they absolutely work, just like visualization.
Thanks for having me as a guest, Erica! *cyber hug*
My wall really came in handly after working until 10pm last night on the day job. When I got home, I slumped in my chair and stared at it for a few minutes. In that short time, I swear it washed away the last fourteen hours of pressure. It planted my feet right back in my dreams where they belonged. Just when I thought I was completely spent and ready for bed, I did a little more research and added two new agents on the wall.
I'm lovin' it!!
Marcia, I commend you for working a ten hour day and still have the energy to hunt down more agents. It's clear where your path is and what energizes you.
I'd put a visualization wall up, but I'm lucky I can see my calendar, and it's just a few feet away. I'll give it a try, though, soon as I have some agents I want to stare at. Until then, I'm destined to stare at the wall in my head - I do what I gotta do.
ladonna:
We should all post our dream boards on our blogs when we finish them.
E
Marcia:
THANKS for visiting!
E
Hi Kath:
I know . . . at the end of the day . . . for me it's tough to muster up energy, which is why I love her idea. A little shot in the arm.
E
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