Winning with imagination

02 Dec, 2025

Where I argue imagination is an underrated tool for success in many of life's domains, and give examples of how to get started.

Since running races in 2012 I've found visualisation to be overpowered. To do it, the night before a race I imagine the feeling of running fast, of arms pumping through fatigue, core winded as hell, burning upper legs rotating. It's a multi-sensory visualisation: what do I see? What is the physical sensation? What thoughts come up? How do I look to others?

This reliably works as a pre-paid deposit of mental effort, so that on race day going to the limit feels easier.

You'll notice this isn't visualising the win - the glory which comes after the effort - but the effortful process itself.

The most successful athletes of all time did something similar. The rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson had an imagery practice. Michael Phelps had an intense "videotape" method which was very close to this.

You'll notice these aren't fringe competitors but the GOATs of their sports.

Beyond these tasty anecdotes there is solid literature on imagination. Evidence on what really works. And boy does it work.¹

So you want to give it a try? What do you actually do?

What I was doing in my amateur running was a form of the PETTLEP approach, which our friends in academia have found to be one of the most effective available². PETTLEP is an acronym for all aspects of the imagination exercise to consider:

• Physical. Feeling in your body of doing the task successfully - to full effort in some sports.
• Environment. Images, sounds, smell, temperature of the place you'll do it in.
• Task. Rehearsing any decisions you'll need to make - not always relevant. Don't image a flawless performance you can't execute. Image your realistic best.
• Timing. How long to do the exercise for
• Learning. Updating the imagination exercise as your skill levels up
• Emotion. The feelings you'll have during the event.
• Perspective. Whether to do the exercise from first person, third person or both. For most sports, adopt the viewpoint of actually doing it (e.g. “I am going through the motions”) rather than watching yourself from outside.

Alongside PETTLEP, function imagery training ("FITS") is a top imagination method³. You imagine your goal, your truest motivations, obstacles and navigating them, and the emotional payoff of success.

PETTLEP gives you a better hammer. FIT makes you want to use the hammer. So we combine both to make the best exercises possible.

Below are some examples which use both. The instructions are watered down for brevity - to give you an idea of the process. A complete exercise can be done in 10-15 minutes.

Combining FITs and PETTLEP for running.

The night before, close your eyes and place yourself at the start line—hear the crowd noise, feel the morning cold on your skin, notice your heart rate elevated.

Run through the race in real-time for key segments: the first kilometre where you resist going out too fast, the 6K mark where your legs start screaming and you hold pace anyway, the final 500m kick where everything burns and you commit fully.

Feel the lactic acid, the arm pump, the controlled breathing. Include the moment a voice says "maybe slow down" and watch yourself dismiss it.

Finish by imagining crossing the line and how that feels.

Combining FITs and PETTLEP for a job interview.

Begin by viewing yourself from the third person: watch yourself walk into the building, posture easy, shoulders back. See how you greet the receptionist, how you look as you wait to be called in, how you look to the panel as you're called into the interview room.

Switch to first person: feel your feet on the floor, the slight acceleration of your heartbeat reframed as readiness. Hear yourself answering questions, sense when you're landing points.

Include hard moments: questions you dread, pausing where you don't immediately know the answer. Feel yourself breathe, feel the deliberate choice to slow down, then deliver a good response.

Switch back to third person: watch yourself ask a question, see the panel's reaction, observe yourself leave knowing you showed up fully.

Lumid

Imagination is criminally underrated. It's easy. It's effective. It's uncomplicated. Everyone should have easy access to it, which is why I'm making Lumid, a mobile app for training and harnessing imagination for success in sport, business and life. It uses all the evidence you see here and a little magic to make the most effective programmes available, and put them in everyone's hands. If you'd like to try it first message me on adambricknell7@gmail.com.

Structure of a FITs exercise which can be done in 5 minutes or less

Goal excavation

• "What does nailing this interview/race/presentation actually get you?"
• Push past surface answers ("I get the job") to intrinsic payoffs ("I prove to myself I can operate at that level")
• Generate 2-3 vivid images of consequences - not the performance itself, but what changes after

Obstacle anticipation

• "What's the moment where this typically goes sideways for you?"
• Name 1-2 specific failure points (for interview: "I start rambling when I don't know the answer"; for running: "I go out too fast and blow up at mile 3")
• Brief image of successfully navigating each obstacle - not avoiding it, but handling it

Desire amplification

• Rate current motivation 1-10
• "What would make this a 10?"
• Hold that image for 15-20 seconds with emotional engagement