From sport to public speaking, the link between mental imagery and actual performance is undeniable – and you can harness it
You’re preparing for a big event: a presentation, say, or a tennis match or a piano recital. Your mind wanders, envisioning every possible outcome. But what do you imagine? Do you picture yourself in control, confident and at your best? Or does your imagination toy with the idea of failure?
The answer matters – it could affect your confidence and, ultimately, how well you go on to perform. Yet, all too often, people don’t take these moments spent in their imagination as seriously as they should. Most people know the importance of physical practice and preparation, but they neglect this other fundamental layer of training. When you are faced with an important challenge, your imagination isn’t just a bystander in the process; it is a tool that directly influences your chances of success.
This is especially the case in high-stakes, high-pressure situations. In these moments, what’s happening inside your mind can be even more powerful than what’s happening outside. This is because your imagination shapes how you interpret the world around you. It can be remarkably vivid, capable of triggering the same physiological and emotional responses that are triggered by external, real-life events. This has been demonstrated at a basic physiological level in the lab. To take just one example, just as emotional pictures and sounds can cause the pupils to dilate, so too can emotional images in the mind.
Another phenomenon also highlights the significance of the imagination – and helps to explain how and why the imagination can influence real performance. Known as functional equivalence, it refers to the way the brain doesn’t always distinguish between imagining an action and physically doing it. Consider the case of athletes: when they vividly imagine running a race or sinking a basket, brain scans reveal that the same neural circuits are activated as if they were physically performing the task. Other research with athletes using functional MRI has shown that mental rehearsal – picturing oneself performing in a sporting event – engages regions of the brain that are involved in controlling the body and also activates areas linked to focus, motivation and emotional regulation.
Your imagination is an important rehearsal space that will help you achieve your goals, and yet it’s frequently underutilised
The principle of functional equivalence extends beyond sports. In one study, pianists were asked to vividly imagine performing a song – picturing their fingers moving across the keys, hearing the melody, and seeing the sheet music. Remarkably, the same motor areas in their brains lit up as when they actually played.
There are many studies like this, making the connection between mental imagery and real-world performance undeniable. My own research with colleagues has further shown that people with vivid imagery skills – they can see and feel their goals in detail – are more likely to reach elite levels in sport. In short, your imagination is an important rehearsal space that will help you achieve your goals, and yet it’s frequently underutilised. So why not harness it more intentionally? Whether you’re aiming to build confidence, refine a skill, or prepare for a challenge, using your imagination with more intention could make all the difference.
The good news is that you can train your imagination to work for you rather than against you, and then deploy it in almost any scenario. Here are eight steps for imagining your way to success.
Understand the lure of negative imagery
First, it’s helpful to understand why, when we use our mind’s eye without intention, so many of us default to imagining negative outcomes. It’s because we evolved to anticipate threats and dangers, giving rise to a set of neural-based instincts that one group of researchers aptly called the Survival Optimisation System (SOS). Thousands of years ago, this system helped our ancestors survive real threats in their environment. Today, that same system kicks in whenever you’re nervous about a big meeting or standing on the verge of a personal challenge. Your brain rushes to create vivid scenarios of failure or danger with the aim of preparing you for action. It’s why you’re more likely to imagine stumbling over your words than delivering them with ease.
There is, however, a silver lining – recognising this bias gives you the opportunity to do something about it. Just because your brain is so quick to latch on to negative imagery, it doesn’t mean it isn’t also capable of doing the opposite. The key is learning how to switch the channel from anxiety-driven negative narratives to images of success, confidence and control.
Know the basics
Let’s begin with some simple practicalities. When you’re using your imagination to picture success or rehearse a performance, conventional advice often suggests closing your eyes and letting your mind wander, but that approach isn’t always the most effective. In fact, our research shows an even split between people who prefer to imagine with their eyes open versus closed, with both groups reporting equal vividness in their mental imagery. The key isn’t whether your eyes are open or shut; it’s about finding what works best for you. It is also crucial to stay still. Imagery requires significant mental effort, and remaining physically calm helps you fully focus on the thought or scenario you’re imagining.
Start by vividly imagining a specific moment. What do you see, hear, smell or feel in this moment?
Another basic question people often ask me is: ‘How often should I engage in imagery practice?’ I recommend making it a part of your daily routine. You don’t need to set aside hours; even five to 10 minutes can make a difference, perhaps when you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, or in the shower before you break into song. If you’re preparing for a specific event, try using imagery the night before and again just before the event. This dual practice, both ahead of time and right before the challenge, strengthens the neural pathways associated with success.
Use all of your senses
When you’re using your imagination to picture yourself performing successfully, start by vividly imagining a specific moment. Create a rich context. What time of year is it? What day of the week? What time of day? Use all your senses. What do you see, hear, smell or feel in this moment? Say you have to give a public presentation – imagine yourself on stage; the lights are bright but soothing, the microphone feels solid in your hand. The audience is engaged, nodding along, and you experience a surge of satisfaction as you hit every point with precision. When engaging all your senses in this mental rehearsal, you’re reinforcing the neural pathways linked to success. In essence, your brain is practising success, preparing you to excel when the moment arrives.
To maximise the vividness of the mental scene you’re creating, you might also find it helpful to script out your imagery in advance or use photos to visually explore the scene of where your upcoming challenge will take place. Writing down or drawing key sensory details or steps in your mental rehearsal can scaffold how you are guiding your mind (this can be especially helpful for people with aphantasia who struggle to create images in their mind’s eye). Remember, the more specific your imagery, the more effective it will be.
Imagine, then perform
When using imagery to help master a specific physical skill, such as a musical excerpt or a dance move, take your time to fully immerse yourself step by step in what it will feel like as you perform the movement skilfully. Again, remember to explore your imagery in multisensory detail. Then, the best time to practise the skill physically is immediately after you’ve imagined yourself performing it well. Think of it like a tennis serve: players will often take a moment to mentally plan the serve, imagining exactly where they want the ball to go and how the motion of their body and arm will unfold. Then they physically bounce the ball and execute the serve. Just as physical practice sharpens muscle memory, mental practice strengthens the neural connections tied to that skill, enhancing both precision and performance.
Rehearse challenging social situations
Instead of trying to suppress a disastrous mental image, make it absurd
Mental rehearsal isn’t just for physical tasks, it’s also a tool for navigating difficult social interactions or hypothesising ways to overcome challenging moments. For instance, if you’re preparing for a tough conversation or high-stakes meeting, use this approach to problem-solve and boost your confidence. You can start by imagining yourself speaking clearly, maintaining eye contact, and responding to unexpected questions with calm authority. But it’s vital to go deeper. Ask yourself, what might those tough questions be? How will you address them? Mentally working through these scenarios can reduce anxiety and sharpen your ability to handle the real situation with confidence and clarity should they arise.
Use humour to disrupt negative imagery
If, despite your best intentions, your mind starts spiralling into negative imagery, humour can be a surprisingly effective antidote. Think of it as your own version of a Riddikulus spell from the Harry Potter books. Instead of trying to suppress a disastrous mental image, make it absurd. For example, imagine yourself delivering that nerve-racking presentation while riding a unicycle, or imagine your audience dressed as Disney characters. Just as the Riddikulus spell helped Harry and his friends transform their deepest fears into laughable scenes, injecting silliness into your thoughts can strip away the negativity and inject creativity into them, which reframes the situation to be more positive.
Use positive experiences to turbocharge your future imagery
After a successful event or task, take time to reflect on what worked. Replay the positive experience in your mind, noting the sensory details and emotions. By getting into the habit of doing this regularly, you create a series of positive anchors – a mental library of success that you can draw upon in future moments of doubt. This positive reinforcement builds over time, making it easier to call up positive imagery when you need it most.
Don’t forget to put in the physical practice
You might be wondering whether too much positive imagery could lead to complacency. Could it make you overconfident? The short answer is no, provided that you’re coupling mental rehearsal with actual preparation. Imagery is a complement to physical practice, not a replacement for it. When imagining success, you’re not cutting corners; you’re strengthening your ability to perform when it counts in a way that feels familiar. Incorporating multisensory imagery into your toolkit allows you to shift from a mindset of fear and doubt to one of empowerment and control.
Final notes
Reimagining how we use our imagination is about taking control of what thoughts we want to give attention to and rejecting those we don’t. You have the ability to choose the mental channel you engage with, whether it’s filled with doubt or filled with confidence and opportunity. Just as you might switch from a mundane TV show to something inspiring, you can shift your internal focus toward a narrative of success and capability. When consciously selecting the thoughts, imagery, and emotions you want to cultivate, you can reshape your mindset and influence how your body reacts to challenges.
Albert Einstein once said: ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.’ The key is to decide which story in your imagination you want to tune into, and to ensure it’s one that leads you toward your best performance.
