See It In Your Mind’s Eye and Then Do It (Exercise)

This is a side bar to the article, Picture the Behavior and Make It Happen, which is the first article for today, March 7, 2010.

1. Stand up with your feet shoulder distance apart. Lift either arm and point straight ahead.
2. Without moving your feet, turn your upper body, arm and your head in the direction of that arm as far as you can go. Note what you see on the wall at that point.
3. Let your eyes go further and see a different point on the wall. Note that point.
4. Come back to your starting point.
5. Close your eyes and visualize what you just did, going to the point where you stopped.
6. Then imagine your body, arm and head turning so you stop at the further point on the wall, the one that you noted but did not reach when you actually did the exercise.
7. Open your eyes, and physically repeat the exercise, going in the same direction that you did the first time.

How far did you go the second time? On the second try, most people go effortlessly to the point further away. When asked what the exercise means, they usually say if you can picture it in your mind, you can do it.