In the past 3 weeks I've been blogging about various creative visualization tools you can use to create the life you want including visualization, making a Beneficial Billboard or Self-Fulfilling Scrapbook. Another positive tool to use while visualizing your desired goals is a creating history journal. In this journal, make entries as if your ideal future has already arrived. Write in the same style as you would in a regular journal; using personalized statements and the present tense. Let’s say you have an important event coming up and you’re feeling nervous and scared. An old, self-defeating behavior would be to worry about the event and imagine all the worst case scenarios so that by the time the event arrives you’re a nervous wreck and maybe some of your worst fantasies come true. Or, perhaps the event goes wonderfully but you can’t enjoy it because you’re too tense and worried. You can use your creating history journal to write about the event as you’d like it to happen. Place a date on the entry that’s equal to or preceding the event. For example, if the event is on December 31, 2011 write that date, not the actual date, at the top of your entry. Then, write about the event as if it has already passed and it turned out as you wished. Kathy was feeling anxious about her summer vacation. She had plans to visit her parents in another state. In the past, they had tension and fighting during visits. Kathy never felt appreciated by her parents and experienced increasing anxiety as it came close to time for the visit. Here’s her creating history journal entry:

August 20, 2000, We just left my parent's house and had the best visit ever. I felt less stress than usual because I decided beforehand that I would do my best and let the rest go. It worked! I decided not to have high, unrealistic expectations. When they told me they were happy to see me, it felt really good. I’m so glad I decided to do things differently this time and I actually look forward to seeing my parents again.

A creating history journal helps you focus on positive outcomes rather than worrying and focusing on worst case scenarios. Use it to write about your ideal day or to write about completing a big goal. Use as much vivid detail as possible. Include feelings, sights, sounds, smells and anything that will make that journal entry come alive for you. Simply imagine positive outcomes, positive feelings. Daily practice with one or more of the techniques outlined in this article will help increase your confidence and enable you to stay focused on what you want in life versus worrying about what you don’t have. With repeated exposure to these new ideas you’re likely to become more comfortable with success and less likely to sabotage yourself.