I read Shakti Gawain's book Creative Visualization very soon after it came out in 1978. Although I was deep in my addiction to drugs and chaos at the time, a part of me—which I understand now to be the truest part of me—connected to Gawain's teaching that we can use affirmations and mental imagery to guide us toward positive change.
A decade or so later, I returned to the practice of creative visualization as part of my early recovery journey. I came to believe, and still do, that painting a picture of something in my head, imagining it, and pretending it is real helps give me the confidence to move firmly in its direction.
Just thinking or visualizing doesn't make it happen, but coming to believe that it can be mine, whatever it is, supports and motivates me to move forward and into action. That's how visualization works for me.
Does visualization work for you? Try to visualize one of your goals right now.
Visualizing something helps me believe that it can be mine and gives me the impetus I need to move toward it.