d and when asked, “what do you do to prepare,” a young surfer shared that he spent a lot of time visualizing his next wave. Not only how he performed while riding the wave itself, but down to paddling towards the breaking point of the wave, the sounds around him, the beating of his heart, everything. No detail is left to chance but is instead visualized in its entirety. This is the technique that helped propel him to champion status.

As you write down your new program, visualize this persona (we’re still talking about you by the way) as though it were already a p

Researchers agree that we each have our own unique “mental vocabulary.” It is this vocabulary that we use to communicate to ourselves and to others. Over time, we create a mental library complete with words and pictures that are directly tied to our feelings about certain people, places and things. For example, if you hear the word “mom,” what feelings or thoughts come to mind? What about the word “gym,” what images or ideas do you conjure up? How about the word “business?”

Each response you have - feelings, thoughts or mental images - comes from programming that is stored inside of you and that drive your response to specific words, places, people, etc. It gets real interesting when you consider that your Personal Brand centers on you and the programming you have about yourself.

What words or images come to mind when you say your name? Say it aloud right now and write down what comes to mind be it feelings, words, thoughts, etc. Now, take a look at what you’ve written and ask yourself, “is this the brand image I wish to project to the outside world?” If the answer is “no” then keep reading.

Develop a New Program
If the sound of your name doesn’t conjure up positive feelings, thoughts and visual images then you’ll need to write a new program. And here’s why; if you don’t come up with powerful brand imagery when you hear the sound of your name, it’s likely that your target market won’t either. What you attract is based on what you communicate. If you don’t think you’re the cats meow, it’s likely that you are projecting that to others who in turn agree with you, you’re NOT the cats meow.

Take a few moments and begin to write down a new program as it relates to you. It’s perfectly fine to describe yourself as an incredibly fascinating and fabulous being – more than likely, you are! This way when you hear the sound of your name (isn’t your name one of the first things you tell someone you first meet OR put on your “hello my name is” tag at networking functions?), your new programming will kick- in and enable you to communicate your brand more confidently and accurately to your target audience.

Athletes use visualization regularly as part of their training. Recently, I was overhearing a group of surfers interviewed and when asked, “what do you do to prepare,” a young surfer shared that he spent a lot of time visualizing his next wave. Not only how he performed while riding the wave itself, but down to paddling towards the breaking point of the wave, the sounds around him, the beating of his heart, everything. No detail is left to chance but is instead visualized in its entirety. This is the technique that helped propel him to champion status.

As you write down your new program, visualize this persona (we’re still talking about you by the way) as though it were already a pa

g that is stored inside of you and that drive your response to specific words, places, people, etc. It gets real interesting when you consider that your Personal Brand centers on you and the programming you have about yourself.

What words or images come to mind when you say your name? Say it aloud right now and write down what comes to mind be it feelings, words, thoughts, etc. Now, take a look at what you’ve written and ask yourself, “is this the brand image I wish to project to the outside world?” If the answer is “no” then keep reading.

Develop a New Program
If the sound of your name doesn’t conjure up positive feelings, thoughts and visual images then you’ll need to write a new program. And here’s why; if you don’t come up with powerful brand imagery when you hear the sound of your name, it’s likely that your target market won’t either. What you attract is based on what you communicate. If you don’t think you’re the cats meow, it’s likely that you are projecting that to others who in turn agree with you, you’re NOT the cats meow.

Take a few moments and begin to write down a new program as it relates to you. It’s perfectly fine to describe yourself as an incredibly fascinating and fabulous being – more than likely, you are! This way when you hear the sound of your name (isn’t your name one of the first things you tell someone you first meet OR put on your “hello my name is” tag at networking functions?), your new programming will kick- in and enable you to communicate your brand more confidently and accurately to your target audience.

Athletes use visualization regularly as part of their training. Recently, I was overhearing a group of surfers interviewed and when asked, “what do you do to prepare,” a young surfer shared that he spent a lot of time visualizing his next wave. Not only how he performed while riding the wave itself, but down to paddling towards the breaking point of the wave, the sounds around him, the beating of his heart, everything. No detail is left to chance but is instead visualized in its entirety. This is the technique that helped propel him to champion status.

As you write down your new program, visualize this persona (we’re still talking about you by the way) as though it were already a p

Program
If the sound of your name doesn’t conjure up positive feelings, thoughts and visual images then you’ll need to write a new program. And here’s why; if you don’t come up with powerful brand imagery when you hear the sound of your name, it’s likely that your target market won’t either. What you attract is based on what you communicate. If you don’t think you’re the cats meow, it’s likely that you are projecting that to others who in turn agree with you, you’re NOT the cats meow.

Take a few moments and begin to write down a new program as it relates to you. It’s perfectly fine to describe yourself as an incredibly fascinating and fabulous being – more than likely, you are! This way when you hear the sound of your name (isn’t your name one of the first things you tell someone you first meet OR put on your “hello my name is” tag at networking functions?), your new programming will kick- in and enable you to communicate your brand more confidently and accurately to your target audience.

Athletes use visualization regularly as part of their training. Recently, I was overhearing a group of surfers interviewed and when asked, “what do you do to prepare,” a young surfer shared that he spent a lot of time visualizing his next wave. Not only how he performed while riding the wave itself, but down to paddling towards the breaking point of the wave, the sounds around him, the beating of his heart, everything. No detail is left to chance but is instead visualized in its entirety. This is the technique that helped propel him to champion status.

As you write down your new program, visualize this persona (we’re still talking about you by the way) as though it were already a p

to you. It’s perfectly fine to describe yourself as an incredibly fascinating and fabulous being – more than likely, you are! This way when you hear the sound of your name (isn’t your name one of the first things you tell someone you first meet OR put on your “hello my name is” tag at networking functions?), your new programming will kick- in and enable you to communicate your brand more confidently and accurately to your target audience.

Athletes use visualization regularly as part of their training. Recently, I was overhearing a group of surfers interviewed and when asked, “what do you do to prepare,” a young surfer shared that he spent a lot of time visualizing his next wave. Not only how he performed while riding the wave itself, but down to paddling towards the breaking point of the wave, the sounds around him, the beating of his heart, everything. No detail is left to chance but is instead visualized in its entirety. This is the technique that helped propel him to champion status.

As you write down your new program, visualize this persona (we’re still talking about you by the way) as though it were already a p

d and when asked, “what do you do to prepare,” a young surfer shared that he spent a lot of time visualizing his next wave. Not only how he performed while riding the wave itself, but down to paddling towards the breaking point of the wave, the sounds around him, the beating of his heart, everything. No detail is left to chance but is instead visualized in its entirety. This is the technique that helped propel him to champion status.

As you write down your new program, visualize this persona (we’re still talking about you by the way) as though it were already a part of your life. Visualize the way you look, your gait, and the smell of your hair. What are you wearing? How do you feel in this personas body and whom are you attracting? Consider as many details as possible remembering that you will attract what you think and talk about.

What goes In must come Out
Writing down your new programming alone isn’t enough. You must commit to rehearsing your new program so that it becomes the only program that is “switched on” when you hear the sound of your name.

What we focus on becomes a part of our mental vocabulary. If we focus on what is wrong with ourselves, or others, we will attract more of that into our lives. This is known as the law of attraction. So if you are not saying, thinking and feeling positive things about yourself, your personal brand will feel the backlash because you will attract the very thing you criticize.

If an image that comes up for you when you say your name is “I’m too fat,” then your brain focuses on the negative “I’m too fat” imagery and guess what, you will not be able to loose weight! On the other hand, if you change your programming so that when you hear your name “I am fit and agile” comes to mind, you will attract and be attracted to activities that produce a fit and agile you.

Imagine the opportunities you will attract when you visualize yourself in a way that draws to you exactly what you seek.

Now, take a deep breath, close your eyes and let the visualization begin!

© 2006 – Liz Pabon. All rights reserved.