I'm easing you into 2026 this week. On Monday I wrote about goal setting. Yesterday I encouraged you to relax into winter. And in the New Year I will share lots more ideas to help you.

But before we get to that, I want you to think about visualising your accomplishments in a different way.

Normally, when we use visualisation, we try to picture the moment when we accomplish our goal. For the athlete that might be their chest breaking the tape. In business it might be the moment you clinch a deal or finish a project.

All of these are useful, but work best when they are accompanied by other techniques. I can't really explain those in an email, they work better in a coaching conversation.

But here's something you can do...

Instead of, or as well as, imagining yourself "winning", spend time imagining the struggles you will go through to complete your goal.

For example, in a marathon, imagine yourself hitting a wall at mile 20 and pushing through. In business, imagine the "trough of despair" when nothing is working and you don't know what to do next, but you don't give up and you find a way through.

This works better than visualising a successful win, because, for some of us, if we picture achieving a goal too much, our nervous system starts to think we've already done it. And doesn't allow us to push the way we could. We give up at mile 20 because we didn't see it coming.

But, as I have already said, now probably isn't the time for planning big goals. It is a time to rest and reflect.

However, now you know how to do this, when the urge comes, take out your journal and write about your goals in this way.

You'll be much more likely to achieve them if you do.

Take care, Stephen

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