There are lots of talented people in the world. Some have a natural ability at art, while others can sing with a passion and intensity that can quieten whole crowds. Some people are extremely good at sports such as tennis.

But not everyone who is talented is able to forge a career from their skill. So, what sets sports stars like Emma Raducanu and Novak Djokovic apart from the many hard-working, naturally competent tennis players in the world?

Turning Dreams into Reality

Of course, we all know that whatever our dreams may be, it is never going to come true without a little hard work. In the case of tennis players, they will train for hours every day, working on their fitness and coordination, so that when the big games come, they are prepared to compete against the best. Natural talent is a great starting point, but hard work is essential if you want to win.

They don’t just train their bodies. They will also work just as hard on their mindset. As with most things in life, the right mindset can really ensure that you give your best. If you go into a tennis match, or anything else for that matter, thinking that you will probably lose, then you almost certainly will. If you believe that you can win – amazing things can happen. Jimmy Connors, tennis champ of the 1970s and early 1980s had it right. He once said in an interview, “I go out to every match convinced I’m going to win; that’s all there is to it.”

So how do they do it?

Using the power of visualisation. Djokovic is very open about how he uses meditation and visualisation to prepare himself for the court. Currently ranked the world number one tennis player in the world, he puts his success down to these practices.

I absolutely love the story he has shared about how he made Wimbledon trophies out of anything he had lying around when he was a child, securing his belief that he would one day hold the real thing in his hand. He has since won it 6 times!

But visualisation isn’t just reserved for sports champions. Anyone can do it. Including you! When you want to change your behaviour in order to lose weight, regularly visualising what you want to achieve can really help you to stay on track when you are faced with making difficult decisions about what and how much to eat.

Practicing this as often as you can will help you to recall much more easily what it is you REALLY want in the long run, and be able to override temptations, and if you practice it regularly enough, and reinforce it with other positive mindset actions, it can even work to the point where they are no longer temptations! It’s your secret weapon, and it makes things a lot easier as you no longer need to keep trying to use willpower or discipline all the time.

Why not give it a go, and let me know how you get on…