When people talk about visualization strategies it is often in the framework of seeing yourself as you want to be when you are at your goal. This is certainly important as one part of the visualization process since if you don’t know where you are then you won’t know the steps you need to get to that destination. However, there are smaller steps to visualizing success that can help you make the right decisions every day of your life. Instead of just focusing in on the huge mega plan, you also need to spend time seeing yourself being successful in the details as well.

“The Law of Sobriety” is a book that I wrote because people often look only at the big picture and fail to see the little steps that they are taking to be successful in their recovery. When they don’t immediately get the big goal they become frustrated, feel unsuccessful and are more likely to slide back into the addiction. Focusing in on the little steps that you take every day and meeting those daily goals will help you stay motivate, stay actively involved in your recovery and in building up a sense of self-confidence and pride in your accomplishments. To visualize the small steps you need to achieve to work towards the big picture goal do the following each morning:

Ask yourself what is the one thing that you want to achieve today. Make it something that is doable, achievable and based in a reality that can actually happen and be monitored.

See yourself as successful at this activity or achievement. You get up on time, you talk to one new person at work or you go to the gym instead of just going home.

Plan how you are going to achieve your vision. It may be setting two alarm clocks, writing a post it note to yourself or calling a friend and arranging to meet at the gym.

The more you see yourself doing these things, and these things are all supportive of your big goal, the more positive energy and opportunities you will find to continue to move forward.

Sherry Gaba LCSW, Psychotherapist, Life & Recovery Coach is featured on Celebrity Rehab on VH1 and is the author of The Law of Sobriety which uses the law of attraction to recover from any addiction. Read more from Sherry on her Beliefnet blog, The Celebrity Therapist.