Visualisation is an invaluable skill to develop to enhance success and achievement. Why? Because almost every human achievement and creation throughout history was first enacted or created in the mind of a man or woman. A clear vision of exactly what you actually want is an essential step for any person serious about bringing their dreams to reality.

The more clearly you can see yourself having achieved your goals and enjoying the rewards, the more it is going to motivate you to make the plans and take the actions necessary to achieve your goals.

It's also important not to be vague about what it is you desire, you must fill in as much detail as possible.

For example, if you decide you want an expensive sports car, to just keep telling yourself you want a sports car is of little or no use. You need to decide the make, model, colour, and all the features you want your new car to include. You also need add emotion – see yourself driving this car, smell the upholstery and feel the pleasure and excitement of owning the car, and the sense of pride and satisfaction of having achieved what you set out to do.

If you want to buy or build your dream home, you need to have a clear vision of exactly what your home will look like, the floor plan, how many rooms it will have, how each room will be decorated, how the grounds will be laid out, where it will be located, and so on.

Also think about why you want whatever it is that you want, as the stronger your reasons, the more motivated you will be, and the more effective your visualization will be.

If you desire material possessions, it doesn't matter if you can't currently go close to affording them. In the case of character traits or skills, it doesn't matter how far you are now from where you want to be. The important thing is to first establish exactly what you desire in detail, and having powerful enough reasons for wanting it.

Time should then be regularly dedicated to visualising your dreams and goals as if they are already achieved. By doing this you are priming your subconscious mind to move you towards your goals.

This may sound like a bit 'pie in the sky', but this a proven technique. The latest brain research also confirms this is much more than mere daydreaming.

Without getting too technical, our subconscious mind is by far the most powerful part of our brain, It effectively operates our bodies and our internal organs, and allows us to carry out simple daily actions, like walking, talking or driving, and everything else we do, without even having to think.

It also records virtually everything that ever happens to us, including many things we aren't even consciously aware of, and provides us with our intuition, our hunches and the inner voices that guide our actions. It thinks creatively and spontaneously, rather than logically and analytically.

This is why, perhaps most importantly of all, it accepts everything that our conscious mind presents to it as reality, and it will then go to work to create this reality. This is a simple explanation why, as has been said countless times by countless people – that we actually achieve, become and experience, what we spend most time thinking about.

Brain research also indicates that our brains are naturally action orientated and think in positives. This means for example, if you tell a child 'don't spill the milk' you actually increase, rather than reduce, the chances of the child spilling the milk, as the subconscious mind only registers 'spill the milk'.

Therefore, if you spend time hoping that the worst won't happen, or constantly think about your problems, you are as good as encouraging the exact outcome you don't want, or asking for more problems. On the other hand, if you actively focus on solutions and the outcomes you want to achieve, and optimistically expect the best, you automatically move in the direction of your goals.

To really get moving towards you goals, work at building up as detailed pictures as possible, and add emotional intensity by seeing yourself having achieved your goals, and enjoying the feelings that these achievements bring.

Work at visualising, and really seeing these pictures regularly, as repetition is necessary to ensure any old negative images are replaced. Try to clear your mind of any other thoughts first. When you are drifting off to sleep, or as you are waking in the morning, tend to be good times for many people, as the mind tends to be more receptive when not fully awake. Visualisation can also work very well when combined with meditation techniques. Experiment to find what works best for you.

This makes your subconscious, creative mind go to work motivating and guiding you to make the plans, break your goals down into manageable chunks, and take the necessary actions. It will also connect you to inexplicable forces that will assist you, and help to create the circumstance to ensure you achieve your goals.

If you make the effort to regularly focus on and visualise your goals, no matter what worries or problems you are facing, you will eventually find you are thinking about them most of the time, and that you become a more positive, optimistic, happy and successful person.

"You must see your goals clearly and specifically before you can set out for them. Hold them in your mind until they become second nature." – Les Brown