GMAT Test-Day Tip: Visualize Success

The best of the best in any field know that battles are won and lost in the time leading up to the battle. Often, people mistakenly believe that winning or losing has everything to do with the battle itself. We know that preparation and practice are crucial, but if you don’t believe in your ability to succeed, you could be sabotaging yourself before you even get the chance to put your skills to work. You must visualize yourself being successful. You must visualize yourself correctly answering questions on the GMAT and earning a high score. You must feel it and believe it.

Many top professional athletes use visualization to gain a game-day edge. The human brain is an amazing machine, and we often underestimate the large role that our thoughts play in our performance. Remember that your thoughts become your actions, and your actions become your life. You have a choice as to how you feel. If you believe that you cannot lose, you’re all but guaranteed to perform at your best.

For 15 minutes each day, visualize your success. If you have never tried this before or are skeptical as to the efficacy of visualization, you are the person most in need of this exercise. You need not do anything sophisticated. Visualization can be as simple as sitting quietly for five minutes at a time, three times a day, and thinking positively. You could visualize:

• Little elves placing necessary GMAT knowledge in your brain.
• Remembering everything you learn during the study process.
• Developing a deep mastery of the material.
• Recognizing and knowing how to solve all of the questions you encounter on test day.
• Being happy and feeling positive during the test.
• Being fast and accurate during the test.
• Walking out of the test center feeling amazing with an exceptional GMAT score in hand.
• Writing your essays knowing that you’ve already earned a great GMAT score.