The Power of Visualization to Finish Graduate School

Did it ever happen to you that you came back from vacation all energized, just to find your motivation lagging again just 48 hours after your plane landed? The question is, what gets us motivated during vacation, and why do we become overwhelmed a few days after we return?

Think back to a time when you were really enthusiastic about something. It could have been a trip, an academic project or an athletic event. Do you recall what ignited your energy? If you are like most people, you probably enjoyed the visualization of seeing yourself having the time of your life during that trip, or acing a class, or winning the race days or weeks before the actual event. You might have imagined yourself surrounded by friends and family cheering for you.


Visualizing the big picture, and the accompanying emotions, is one of the most powerful ways of motivating yourself. When you know what you want, and you are over-the-head excited about it, you are no longer concerned with the myriad number of tasks necessary to accomplish your goal. Those of you who are parents, for example, probably know the length to which one would go to for their children, without being concerned about the amount of time (and money!) necessary.

When you are on vacation, you have the luxury of thinking about the big picture. During the day-to-day grind it is tough to see “the forest from the trees.” The big picture motivates while a lengthy to-do list does just the opposite. So, how do we keep our enthusiasm up when we are overwhelmed with work? I found that one of the best ways to keep our creative juices flowing was to spend about 5 minutes (or more if you have time) at the end of each workday visualizing 3 outcomes for the following day. I don’t mean a to-do list, but a few desired accomplishments and their accompanying emotions.

For example:
-I want to complete the introduction and methods section of my paper, which will help me get closer to graduation, and make me feel like I am contributing to research in my field
-I would like to run 1 mile, so I could lose weight and feel healthier and more energetic
-I want to narrow down my apartment search to the top three homes, to feel a sense of security about where I will live after graduation

After you list your three outcomes, visualize how you will feel at the end of the day, knowing that you completed a significant part of your paper, took care of your body and found a few places to live. Then, schedule the necessary time for each outcome in your calendar. When I use this method, I am usually amazed at how much I accomplish compared to the days when I do not think about the end results the day before.

Do you see how this method, which really only takes 5 minutes, is more powerful than just writing a to-list? Of course, there will be days when your whole list will go out the window because of unexpected academic or personal issues. The desired big picture (e.g. graduating, a healthy body, and a place to live after graduation), will stay the same. As long as you remember what you want and why it is important to you, you will remain one of the most motivated people you know.