From Anxiety to Applause: Why Visualizing Success Changes Everything

Picture this: you’ve got a big meeting coming up, or maybe you’re about to hit “record” on a video for social media. Your stomach is in a knot, palms a little sweaty, and your brain is busy imagining every possible thing that could go wrong.

Sound familiar?

We’ve all been there. We play the “what if” game on repeat: What if I stumble over my words? What if no one pays attention? What if they hate it?

 Most people rehearse failure in their minds without even realizing it. They see themselves bombing the presentation long before they’ve even walked into the room. And that mental rehearsal? It reinforces the pathways in your brain that keep you anxious and sets you up for the very thing you don’t want.

There’s a better way—and it’s simpler than you think.

The Missing Piece of Confidence Prep

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I’ve talked about powerful tools to prime your presence: breathwork to calm your body, mantras to shift your mindset, and power poses to set the tone before you speak.

But there’s one tool that often gets overlooked: visualization.

Visualization is about more than just thinking positive thoughts. It’s creating a clear mental picture of what you want to happen—the calm walk to the front of the room, the steady voice delivering your message, the nods of agreement, the smiles, the applause, the positive feedback afterward.

Here’s why it matters: your brain doesn’t know the difference between something you vividly imagine and something that actually happens. Stop rehearsing worst case scenarios. When you mentally rehearse success, you train your mind and body to respond as if you’ve already been there before. Confidence feels natural because you’ve already experienced it in your mind.

A Real-Life Example: "It Worked, It Really Worked!"

One of my coaching clients came to me with a challenge. Her boss, who usually gave the department’s report at the quarterly board meeting, was on vacation—and she had to step in and give the presentation. She was terrified. In the past, she’d been told the board could sense her nervousness. She avoided eye contact, stumbled over her words, and left the meeting feeling embarrassed.

We decided to try something different. Instead of rehearsing fear, we rehearsed success.

We worked together to create a visual of what “going well” looked like for her: standing tall, speaking clearly, seeing heads nodding, hearing positive feedback at the end. We even went into the conference room where the meeting would take place and practiced behind the podium.

The next time we met, her first words were: “It worked, it really really worked!”

She said the presentation went smoothly, she felt calm and focused, and when her boss returned from vacation, he thanked her for doing a great job—the board had given glowing feedback.

That’s the power of visualization.

How to Use Visualization to Prime Your Presence

You can do this too. Here’s a simple approach to get you started:

Picture the setting. Close your eyes and imagine the environment where you’ll be speaking. See yourself walking into the room or setting up your camera, standing tall, and breathing with ease.

See success. Watch yourself delivering your message with confidence. Imagine people leaning in, nodding along, asking questions, clapping, or—even online—your video getting views, likes, and positive comments.

Feel it in your body. Visualization works best when you engage your senses. What does confidence feel like in your posture, your voice, your expression? Let your body “practice” the feeling of success.

Repeat it often. Like any skill, visualization gets stronger with practice. The more often you see success in your mind’s eye, the more natural it feels to make it a reality.

Your Next Step: Learn More Tools to Prime Your Presence

Visualization is just one way to set yourself up for success before you speak. In my free webinar, Prime Your Presence: How to Show Up with Confidence, Clarity, and Calm, I’ll share more proven tools to help you step into every meeting, presentation, or video with the mindset and energy of a confident communicator.

Next session: Wednesday, August 13 at 12:00 PM Eastern
Click here to reserve your free spot:

Your voice deserves to be heard. Start by seeing your success before you speak—and watch your confidence grow.