With the turn of the new year, there’s one word that always takes center stage: Goals.

I love goals. I love thinking about them. Setting them. But mostly I love achieving them. But here is what I can’t stand. Goals that stand alone.

You know why? Because most people (even driven ones like you and I) fail at goals far too often. And it’s not because we aren’t disciplined or driven. It’s because when we set goals but don’t work on the thoughts behind the goals, it can become a puddle of broken promises. Setting goals ALONE can be an exercise in disappointment, start a cycle of shame, and create limiting thoughts that keep us small.

But you know where goals really can shine? When they are paired with visualization.

Visualization is the fuel, goals are the destination. Get your thoughts trained and on board using visualization and your goals become easier to achieve, more enjoyable and more in line with your day to day actions.

Whether you are new to...

Visualization helps program the subconscious brain to be successful. Here are the 5 reasons you should start practicing visualization today.

#1. Builds Confidence

Visualizing success in your training or racing and you can subconsciously improve your belief in your abilities. We all compete according to how we see ourselves. Change how you see yourself, and your performance changes. Just take a moment and think of 5 times you were at the top of your ‘game’. Write them down. Then take a deep breath, close your eyes and replay all seven of those instances in your mind.

I'll bet you feel more confident in your abilities and more sure of your enormous potential. It’s powerful stuff. Simple but brings out your BEST you.

#2. Controls Emotions

Controlling emotions is one of the most important aspects to mental training. Staying calm under pressure, reacting appropriately to adversity, getting hyped for competition, ignoring unhelpful emotions in the heat of the moment....

When I was in my mid 20s, I became really interested in doing mindset work. My ongoing research and conversations with friends and colleagues ultimately led me to meeting Dr. James Hollingsworth, a trained hypnotist, and the first person to ever introduce me to the immense impact of hypnotism and guided visualization. One thing Dr. Hollingsworth taught me is that the best way to learn about and understand hypnotism is by experiencing it firsthand.

I remember the first time I was hypnotized so clearly; it sticks out in my mind. I remember what the room looked like, the overwhelming feelings that surfaced, and the ultimate relief. Truthfully, the first time I was hypnotized, I started crying. I was so present. I remember being blown away by my own mind. I had years of mental training behind me, I was no stranger to the power of the mind, and yet I was still surprised. It was different. I couldn’t believe I was able to have such an extremely powerful experience just by tapping...

Being ON all the time is physically and psychologically exhausting. If you notice your athletes becoming fatigued toward the end of the season or at the end of a tournament, it may be because they are not relaxing and re-booting between games. In this video, Lindsey describes two visualization exercises that can help your athletes be ON when it matters, and relax in their down time; helping them ward off fatigue and stay sharp on game day.

In this video, Lindsey points out that visualization training is based on the scientific evidence that the brain responds well to imagery. You can tell yourself to relax, but it's more impactful when you imagine relaxing in a systematic, visual way. Here are two scenarios that you can use to help your athletes visualize decompressing.

Deceleration Visualization

Have athletes relax somewhere quiet. They can lay down or sit up in silence. Tell them to take a deep breath and release. Tell them the following:

1. Imagine you're driving a...

Coaches often ask me, "Lindsey, can I apply what I'm learning in your trainings to my younger athletes?" To which I respond YES!  But, there are some tips that can really help you implement these tools in a way that makes sense with young athletes. 

So let's start with one of the most useful mental training tools: Visualization

(if you don't know where to start, the BRAVR method is a great focusing tool- you can download here). 

In order to teach younger athletes visualization, it's important to do it in a way that’s easily accessible and fun for them. Here are some tips on introducing younger athletes to visualization.

4 Tips for Teaching Visualization to Any Age

Use the Right Verbiage

Make visualization easily accessible to younger athletes by using words and concepts that they understand. They likely don't know what 'visualization' means and it will be easier to have them do it than explain what it is. Here are some examples of phrases that can get...