Ep 82: What If You’re Trying to Visualize But You Can’t Feel Anything? Try This...
Have you ever tried to visualize something you really want and thought:
Am I doing this wrong?
Maybe you're trying to picture the goal.
You're trying to feel what it would be like to actually have it.
But... nothing.
No big emotion. No vivid picture. No feeling that you're already there.
If you've ever struggled with that, you're definitely going to want to listen to this episode.
Because Dave has a name for it; he calls it:
Being “visualizationally impaired.”
In fact…
Dave says he used to be “visualizationally impaired” too.
So how did someone who now considers visualization one of the most important practices he's ever used go from struggling with it himself to being able to use it so effectively?
In Episode #82 of The 30-Day Year Podcast, Dave and Jacq Conway talk about what may actually be happening when you're trying to visualize but you just can't seem to feel anything.
Dave believes there may be something standing between you and the picture you're trying to create.
He calls it the gatekeeper.
So who (or what) is this gatekeeper?
Why might it be rejecting the new picture you're trying to give it?
And how the heck do you get past it?
Dave shares something surprisingly simple that he started doing when he was learning how to visualize.
It involved a piece of paper, a pen... and one word.
What was the word?
And why did something so simple make such a difference?
You'll have to hear Dave explain that one. 😉
In this episode, you'll hear Dave and Jacq talk about:
Why Dave believes visualization is a skill you can actually get better at, even if you think you're terrible at it right now…
What Dave means when he talks about the “gatekeeper” in your mind, and what it may be doing to the new picture you're trying to create…
The surprisingly simple thing Dave practiced with a pen, a piece of paper, and one word when he was learning how to visualize…
A simple test you can try for yourself that may completely change what you believe about your ability to visualize…
What a frozen block of ice has to do with learning how to feel something during visualization…
The kite-and-string picture Dave uses to explain what happens when the image you're trying to hold keeps getting away from you…
And much more!
If you've ever thought, “I just can't visualize like other people can,” don't write yourself off yet.
You may be a lot better at it than you think.
And Dave has a very interesting way of proving it to you!
Tune in and listen to the full episode now!
Key Takeaways
1.) Is Your Own Mind Rejecting the Picture You're Trying to Create? (1:50)
Have you ever tried to picture something you really want and found that your mind just won't seem to go there?
Dave has a theory about why that might happen.
Imagine you're currently earning a certain amount of money every year.
Now try to picture yourself earning that same amount every month.
Can you really see it?
Can you feel it?
Or does some part of your mind immediately start saying:
Yeah... right.🙄
Dave believes your existing self-image may have something to do with that.
Jacq calls it a “gatekeeper.”
So what exactly is this gatekeeper?
And could it be one of the reasons you're having such a hard time seeing and feeling the new picture you're trying to create?
Dave explains his theory in the episode.
2.) What If You Can't Hold the Picture in Your Mind? (2:40)
When Dave first started practicing visualization, he had a big problem.
He couldn't hold the picture.
He'd try to focus on what he wanted, and within seconds, another thought would come crashing in.
Then another.
Then another.
Sound familiar? 😂
So Dave started doing something surprisingly simple.
He picked up a pen and started writing.
What does writing have to do with visualization?
And why did Dave find it so helpful when he couldn't keep his mind focused on the picture he wanted?
Be sure to listen to the full episode. Dave walks you through exactly what he did.
3.) “Can You See an Elephant Right Now?” (5:22)
Dave says many people come up to him at seminars and tell him:
“I can't visualize.”
So he asks them a very simple question:
“Can you see an elephant right now?”
What happens next is Dave's way of showing them something they may not realize about their own imagination.
Because according to Dave, visualization isn't something you're either born being good at or you're not.
It's a skill.
It’s a skill you can learn. And he believes you can get better at it.
So what does an elephant have to do with any of this?
And why does Dave put so much importance on developing your imagination in the first place?
You'll want to hear his answer.
Tune in to the full episode now!
4.) Should You See a Picture... or a Movie? 🤔 (9:29)
When Jacq wanted to sell a house, she spent weeks visualizing something very specific:
A SOLD sign out front.
Years later, when she was designing another home, she visualized completely differently.
Instead of holding one picture, she imagined herself walking through the house.
Which raises an interesting question:
When you visualize, should you see a still picture or should you see the whole thing playing out like a movie?
Does one work better than the other?
And could you be putting way too much pressure on yourself trying to do it the “right” way?
Dave and Jacq get into that in this episode.
5.) Dave Says He Felt Like a “Frozen Block of Ice” (12:35)
In 2017, Dave was sitting in a seminar when he was asked to write down ten things he was grateful for.
He only got to four.
Then he stopped.
Why?
Because he realized he couldn't feel anything.
Dave describes what he felt inside at the time as a “frozen block of ice.”
And that scared him.
Because he was beginning to understand how important feeling was to what he was trying to accomplish.
So what do you do when you're trying to create that feeling and...
there's nothing there?
Dave talks about what he started doing and what happened over the weeks that followed.
6.) What Does Flying a Kite Have to Do With Visualization? (20:08)
Toward the end of the episode, Dave talks about what he calls the six higher faculties:
Perception. Reason. Imagination. Memory. Will. Intuition.
And then he uses a kite to explain how some of those faculties work together.
Yes.
A kite. 🪁
Dave says the image you're trying to create is a lot like that kite.
But there's another part of the picture that's just as important.
The strings.
So what do those strings represent?
And what happens when you don't have control of them?
Once Dave explains the picture, the whole thing makes a lot more sense.
Tune in now to hear the full episode!
What to Do Next…
If you've ever struggled with visualization and wondered whether you're just not good at it, Dave wants you to know this:
Visualization is a skill.
And if it's a skill, that means you can get better at it.
Dave knows because he struggled with it himself.
So if you have trouble holding the picture in your mind, can't seem to connect with the feeling, or simply wonder whether you're doing any of this right, don't give up on visualization just yet.
Listen to Episode 82 and hear what Dave learned when he was trying to figure it out for himself.
Tune in to Episode #82 of The 30-Day Year Podcast here!
Free Resources Mentioned In This Episode
Want to start putting some of what Dave and Jacq talked about in this episode into practice? These free resources can help.
🎯 FREE 30-Day Year Goal-Setting Guide
It's hard to create a clear picture of what you want when you're not completely clear about what you want in the first place. That's where this guide can help.
Use the 30-Day Year Goal-Setting Guide to get clear about the goal you're working toward, what you really want, and where you want to go next.
Then you'll have something specific to start building that picture around.
Download the FREE 30-Day Year Goal-Setting Guide now!
🧠 FREE Visualization Checklist
If you've ever wondered, “Am I actually doing this visualization thing right?” this is the resource you'll want. Dave talks throughout this episode about developing your ability to create the picture, hold it in your mind, and connect with the feeling.
The Visualization Checklist gives you a simple guide you can use when you're practicing on your own.
Download the FREE Visualization Checklist now!
🚀 FREE 21-Day Money Momentum Challenge
Dave's big message in this episode is that visualization is a skill. And skills get better with practice.
The 21-Day Money Momentum Challenge gives you a way to take what you're learning and actually practice it, with simple exercises you can work through each day.
Instead of listening to the episode and thinking, That was interesting, you can start putting some of these ideas to work today!
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In Episode 82 of the 30-Day Year Podcast, Dave and Jacqueline Conway dig into why you can lie down, run every visualization technique, and still feel nothing. You'll learn why your self-image rejects new pictures, how writing and gratitude rebuild the feeling, and why imagination and will are skills you can develop.