Faith in Action: Harnessing Visualization and Affirmation to Align with God’s Plan

The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen.

-Lee Iacocca

Today, I am continuing my mini-series on mindsets. Please the read the above quote again. We will expand on this idea in this installment.

Before I get started, I want you to open your mind to this concept. You may feel some resistance, to what I’m going to share with you and that’s ok, but hear me out. Please read to the end before you count this out.

I want to take you back when I first discovered this; when I was in high school, and I was very driven to do well. It was just who I was. I played sports and I was also involved in speech competitions. My years of playing basketball through high school, I concentrated on being a good shooter. I would take 3-point shots before they changed the rules, and you got 3 points for making a basket outside of the perimeter. I was also the best free-throw shooter on my team and got to take the free throws for technical fouls. During practice, I would fully concentrate on the technique and train myself to work through the progression. Whether it was cocking my wrist, setting the ball in a certain position, the follow thru, or seeing the ball rotate thru the air with the same arch before it would swish the basket, I would visualize this process. Before we would play a game, I would go on the court in different positions and visualize the shot and feel what the experience would be as it swished the net. That was the first time using “visualizing” worked. I had no formal training on this, it was just part of something I figured out for myself.

Remember, I also competed in public speaking. I would write out my speech and practice it over-and-over. I can remember back to one competition. There was this one area of my speech I constantly messed up. I kept replaying that mistake over-and-over mentally. Sure enough, I was at regionals in a competition and in that exact same spot I messed up like I had visualized and rehearsed it over-and-over. Needless to say, I did not win the speech competition that day. I remember it so well. Again, what I kept seeing and feeling happened. So, at a very early age, I figured this out. You may think that sounds crazy, but fast forward, I’m in college selling those books door-to-door on 100 percent commission, working my way through college. I was introduced to the concept of visualization. I would take Sunday evenings before the sales week began and write out on a piece of paper the number of books I would sell each day. I wrote 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon and 3 at night, and I taped the paper to the inside door of my car, so I would see it throughout the day. I would see it, feel it and think about it. I would call on about 30 families a day. I believed in the value of the books I was selling. I’m giving you an example here of just one summer. What happened was that I wouldn’t hit that exact number each day, but it created an expectation for my brain. I would average this amount on a weekly basis. It was the power of “visualization.”

I’ve recently shared with you that I did an interview as an alumni of that company on the PonyTales podcast. I finished as a #1 salesperson selling against 3,000plus college students across the nation and I finished #1 two years in a row. This idea I’m sharing with you, is one of the things that propelled me to do that. I would also write out and picture the feeling of walking back through Nashville as a number 1 salesperson. I am sharing this with you because I know this idea works. As I create and share ideas and tools each week, you can take the ideas that will work for you and disregard the ones that won’t.

Visualization and affirmations have been powerful tools I have used throughout my lifetime. I don’t think they are “woo-woo.” I say this all the time; I believe God gave us thinking brains. We have evidence in the Bible of God’s followers that are commanded to meditate on scripture day and night. Renewing of our minds with scripture. Again, you may have some resistance to this idea, but I’m going to be straight up and share with you as a Bible believing Christian, I believe this will be life changing and helpful. At the end of this post, I’m going to share with you what I currently have written on my whiteboard in my office. So, please read on.

I firmly believe if we actively recognize and replace negative, restrictive thoughts with positive affirmations; question our doubts and reframe them as opportunities for growth and potential, this will change the trajectory of your life. My favorite question to ask myself is “Is this true?” Why do you believe this? I believe we must challenge our thoughts. All of them.

Here is a summary of what I’ve shared with you and the exercises to do to rewire our mindset. When I visualize, I simply mentally picture the outcomes I desire; using my imagination to create vivid, emotionally charged images. I engage my senses and see myself achieving those goals, which helps activate my subconscious mind to work toward them. Affirmations, on the other hand, are positive statements I repeat regularly to replace negative self-talk. Each helps me build confidence, motivation, and self-worth by forming new thought patterns in my brain.

What makes this process even more meaningful for me is how I’ve used my Christian faith and my growing knowledge of the Bible to guide the self-development process. God has given us so much wisdom in His Word about how to live, think, and renew our minds. By grounding my affirmations and visualizations in biblical truths, I align my personal growth with God’s plan for my life. For example, when I visualize success or speak positive affirmations over myself, I remind myself of verses like Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This keeps me focused on what God has written for us to do and ensures that my personal development is rooted in His truth.

When I combine visualization, affirmations, and biblical principles, it creates a powerful process for shifting my mindset from fear or doubt to faith and abundance. It’s a daily practice that helps me stay aligned with God’s purpose while building a healthier and more positive outlook on life.

1.           Preparation

                •             Find a quiet space

                •             Have a journal and Bible nearby

2.           Scripture Reflection

                •             Select a biblical promise or verse about identity/potential

                •             Example: Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you…”

3.           Visualization

                •             Close your eyes

                •             Mentally picture yourself living out God’s promise

                •             Engage all senses: What do you see? Feel? Hear?

                •             Imagine overcoming your current limiting belief

4.           Affirmation Writing

                •             Write 3-5 positive “I am” statements rooted in Scripture

                Examples:

                •             “I am more than a conqueror through Christ”

                •             “I have a spirit of power, love, and sound mind”

Remember, consistency is more important than perfection. Do this daily and watch how God transforms your mindset.

 As promised, here’s what I have currently written on my whiteboard behind my desk:

• Stress makes you believe everything has to happen right now. Faith reassures you everything will happen in God’s timing❤️
• The only limit to your impact is your Imagination and Belief!
• Moments of Decisions! Powerful Vision!
• And she trusted God that he had “purpose for this season”
• Through God’s grace I can do whatever God leads me to do❤️
• Why not you? Why not now?
• Picture & emotion “Surrender and Trust”
• Experiencing Breakthroughs
• A relaxed belief of anticipation and expectation
• Yield to him! Rest in his truth!
• God’s truth renews your mind!
• 20,000 downloads

Before we wrap up, I want to bring us full circle to where we started. Remember that powerful quote from Lee Iacocca: “The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen?” That’s exactly what this installment has been about. I’ve shared with you my personal journey of how visualization, affirmations, and intentional goal setting have transformed my life—from basketball to sales to my current mission to create a powerful life-changing podcast.

The key takeaway? Your mind is powerful, and what you consistently see, feel, and believe, an achieve. But here’s the most important part: this isn’t just about positive thinking. This is about aligning your thoughts with God’s truth, challenging your limiting beliefs, and creating a mindset of faith and possibility. Whether you’re writing down sales goals, personal dreams, or spiritual aspirations, the act of writing itself is a declaration of belief.

I challenge you today: Grab a journal, write down those dreams, visualize them with all your senses, and ground them in biblical truth. Remember, you’re not just dreaming – you’ve been given the capability to make your dreams a reality. Why not you? Why not now? Let’s do this together.

Until next time, keep believing, keep growing, and keep trusting in God’s incredible plan for your life.

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Monette hosts a weekly podcast: Mornings with Monette. She has been a lifelong learner and and appreciates the opportunity to share what she has learned–both through her podcast and here at The Best-Life Project (based on the content of her weekly podcast). Her messages are raw, honest and straight from the heart. She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband Leland. They have three adult children and are enjoying living their best lives filled with travel and adventure.