From a post reply I wrote about visualization:

It’s not a magic bullet train; you asked specifically about “holding onto a visualization” - it’s almost the opposite you want to do, in that you want to have it, then let it go…

Here are a few things I have found that work well for me. It’s all about working with the underlying subtle energy of the thoughts and feelings that relate to what you’re wanting to focus on. I am not delving into those specifics here, just sharing some of the tools I’ve found to be helpful in playing with this pool of opportunity in visualization.

You can take or leave what works for you of these processes and you will encounter more that you can add to the list:

#Clear your mind through daily meditation. Earlier in the day before interacting with other people is better. Keeping at it for a month or more is essential. I have not missed a day in almost nine years and it has made a huge difference in my life. It is a daily reattunement. DAILY. There are many ways to meditate; I would stick with one way for at least a month before you try another. Some might say longer. The reason for clearing your mind (other than that it feels awesome) is that it makes you much more receptive to intuitive impulses that relate to the visualization/manifestation trajectory.

#Look for small, incremental changes in the direction you want to go. Make note of when they occur; noticing builds momentum, in my experience. Jot down what builds on what, make connections, and let yourself go with the flow of the little changes, no matter how small or tangential to your goals. Baby steps build out the visualization (even if you can’t see exactly how, in the moment).

#Make more small decisions to build momentum in your day! That’s a big one for me and I always tell that to my team members at work, too. Can be tangential to your goals; building something in a positive direction is good - the idea is to get the energy moving in a wanted direction. Does not have to be about the visualization. Just about feeling faster forward momentum generally.

#Find the feeling of what you’re going for, not just the “thing” you’re going for. Look for evidence of that feeling throughout your day. Feeling first. You’re already on a good path with writing down your goals so keep doing that… just focus on WHY you want what you want, find the feeling place of what you want wherever it occurs in your life, even if tangential to your main, visualized goals.

#Collage it! If you are a visual person, you can “codify” these thoughts, feelings and processes with a collage. Then let it go, put it away, forget about it, and move on with the rest of your small, incremental decisions that build energy generally in your life. LET THE VISUALIZATION GO and then CHILL OUT! (Do I sound like I am yelling? It’s because this part is important!)…

#Flow! Find your flow and enjoy the ride! Allow yourself to find a playful place in it all. It’s not all about the final destination.

Overall:

#Meditate. Ask yourself why you want what you want. Feelings first. Allow yourself to go with the flow. Have fun! And expect serendipity; more and more opportunities will open up.

And if you are interested to read more about these creative visualization processes, I recommend the work of #ShaktiGawain, #EstherHicks, and #NathalieGoldberg. Of course, there are many, many more. These are just a few of my favourites/favorites (Canadian/American here). :-)

Thank you for asking.

#Allowing #Breathing #BreathWork #Change #ChillOut #Clearing #Collage #Connections #CreativeConsciousness #CreativeVisualization #CreativeWriting #Creativity #Decisions #Destination #Direction #EarlyMorning #Energy #Expecting #Feeling #Finding #Flowing #FlowState #Focusing #Fun #Goals #LetItBe #Looking #Making #Manifesting #Meditation #Mindfulness #Momentum #MoodBoard #Morning #MorningMeditation #Noticing #Opportunity #Playing #Pool #Processes #Reiki #Scripting #Serendipity #Storyboarding #SubtleEnergy #Tangents #Thoughts #VisionBoard #Visualizing #Writing

From a post with @cosullivan and broken out here separately on purpose for general discussion.