Scripting is a powerful tool you can use to strengthen both assertions and visualization. The core idea is to write a story-like script of an outcome you want in the future. You can also use it to strengthen knowledge you want to learn. The key point is to write it down.
Scripts are similar to assertions. Most people write them in first person. Some write them in third person, referring to themselves by their first name. They are positive. They are in present tense. They are reasonably concise, although they may still be long. You should relax before writing or reviewing them, and you can read them aloud or mentally. Review them often and anywhere, and be sure to visualize each section as if you were there.
The more you can include of the senses in your script, the more effective the script is for visualization. Remember that visualization is not just visual. It can include any of the senses.
You can use scripting for many purposes. Let’s look at two ways you can use scripting. You can use it for goal setting and for strengthening learning.
Scripting is a great way to define and explore your goals. Writing down specific points helps you clarify what you want from your goal, and gives it more definition. More definition allows you visualize your goal more accurately, and this then increases your ability to make it happen.
For example, if you are training for a pilot’s license, I’d suggest you take half an hour and write a script. Describe your first flight after you have gained your license. Where do you fly to? Who goes with you? How do you feel when you first take off, knowing you have achieved something that many aspire to do? What’s the weather like? How do you feel when you land?
In the text box titled “Example creative script” I’ve included a short example of a script I wrote five years before I started my pilot’s license. I knew back then it was something I wanted to do, however I had no idea when or how I would. Five years later when a work colleague offered to take me up flying, I jumped at the opportunity. I was also in the right place at the right time, with the right resources, to start my license. Three weeks later I was down at the airfield doing my first lesson. Nine lessons later I went solo for the first time, and what a rush that was!
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I wrote this script about five years before commencing my flying training, so some of the details were incorrect. However, it helped me set a goal that was real and concrete, rather than “I’d like to get my license sometime.” After finishing work early in the afternoon, I catch a taxi to the airfield. Upon arrival, I proceed to the hanger where my Lancair aircraft is stored. The airport staff have refueled and performed the initial checks, and the plane is prepped and ready to go. I quickly change in the restroom at the hanger, before throwing the small amount of luggage I have behind the two seats in the cockpit. I pull the aircraft out of the hanger and onto the tarmac. I jump in and settle into the seat, buckle my harness carefully, and then pull the hatch shut. Once sealed inside the cockpit, I do my own pre-flight before starting it up. The engine catches and then runs smoothly. Oil and other gauges show normal. I complete my checks, establish contact with tower, and then proceed down the taxiway to the end of the runway. Bringing the plane around, I turn the nose down the runway. After I receive final clearance from the tower, I open the throttle to full. The small plane accelerates quickly down the runway. I ease back on the control stick, and the plane leaves the ground. I follow the circuit for a while before turning the plane north, heading for home... |
Creative scripting is similar to creative visualization. Using them together is a powerful combination. Create and write your script, and then visualize it.
As with creative visualization, writing out your goals like this can help you clarify what you seek. It can also help you realize that what you seek may not be that exciting or fulfilling after all. It may be better to realize this earlier and refocus your efforts somewhere else, rather than finding out when you get there!
A second application of scripting involves writing a review script. This is a script you can review regularly to reinforce your learning. An example of this is what I call “The Perfect Performance.” I use a “Perfect Flight” script. It incorporates many review assertions and much flying information into a story that describes what a “perfect flight” would be like. Review scripts for other activities could be “The Perfect Sale,” “The Perfect Race,” “The Perfect Game,” or “The Perfect Negotiation.”
Use the Task Variation and Task Interference techniques in your review scripts as well. For example, where there is much variability in your performance due to factors outside your control, script several scenarios. In a race against competitors, you might script staying out in front when you are in the lead, recovering the lead if you are behind, and other scenarios.