The Neuroscience of Vision: Why Your Brain Is Wired for Transformation

Last week I shared the Change Formula and why vision is the often-missing ingredient in sustainable transformation. Several of you replied asking about the why behind this—what's actually happening in our brains when we create compelling visions?

The answer is fascinating and might change how you approach your next big goal.

But first, let me acknowledge something: if you're someone who’s feeling a little burnout or overwhelmed by goal-getting…I get that, and let me give you a little encouragement to keep reading.  This is all about how your brain is already designed to help you.  Developing your vision can unlock support, not stress.  .

Your Brain's Built-In GPS

Your brain is designed to move toward whatever you can see most clearly. Neuroscientists call this the "reticular activating system"—the mental filter that determines what you notice and what you ignore.

Think about it: when you're considering buying a certain car, suddenly you see that model everywhere. When you're pregnant (or want to be), you notice pregnant women constantly. The information was always there; your brain just started filtering for it.

When you have a vivid, detailed picture of your desired future, your brain starts noticing opportunities, resources, and connections that support that vision. It's not magic; it's biology.

Research from UCLA shows that people who visualize their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. But here's the key: it can't be a generic vision. It has to be yours—specific, sensory-rich, and emotionally resonant.

The Leader's Advantage

Think about the leaders who inspire you most. Martin Luther King didn't simply rally people around being against segregation—he painted a picture of the dream. Brené Brown doesn't rail against perfectionism or shame-culture—she shows us what the courage to be vulnerable and show up authentically and imperfectly looks like.

Breakthrough leadership requires the ability to see clearly where you're going before the path appears.

Your personal and professional transformations work the same way. When you can clearly see and feel the leader you're becoming, the relationships you're building, the impact you're creating—change stops being something you should do and becomes something you're naturally drawn to grow into.

As competent, logical leaders, we often think the solution to being stuck is more willpower or the right strategy. But the real shift happens when we move from being pushed around by our problems to being pulled forward by our vision.

Beyond Goal-Setting

This is where most traditional approaches fall short. They're too cerebral, too linear, too removed from how we actually experience life.

Your vision needs to be specific, sensory-rich, and emotionally resonant to you. It can't be generic or borrowed from someone else's life.

Instead of 'I want to have an impact without burning out,' try 'I can feel the steady rhythm of sustainable energy throughout my days. I see the ripple effects of my work creating change in people's lives. I hear the excitement in my voice when I talk about my work, knowing it flows from fullness rather than desperation.

This kind of vision lives in your nervous system, not just your head. When you can feel what it's like to already be living that reality, your brain starts creating neural pathways to make it happen. And that's when change becomes inevitable instead of effortful.

This is why I'm such a believer in vision board work done right—not cutting out pictures of sports cars, but the deep, reflective process of clarifying what you actually want to create in your life and translating that into images that inspire daily action.

Putting This Into Practice

The neuroscience shows that creating your vision in community, away from daily distractions, significantly increases its power to create lasting change. There's something about the combination of focused intention and supportive witness that amplifies the brain's natural visioning process.

This is exactly why I'm hosting the Vision Board Workshop on Saturday, August 23rd at Knox Farm in East Aurora. For 5+ years, I've watched participants experience remarkable shifts using this approach—career breakthroughs, strengthened relationships, and personal transformations that surprised even them.

We'll spend the day in a beautiful, restorative setting that naturally puts your nervous system at ease—the perfect environment for your brain's visioning process to work. You'll leave with a visual representation of your next chapter that's both inspiring and strategically grounded.

Late summer's energy makes this timing ideal. It's that perfect balance of growth and harvest—you can feel both the fullness of what you've created and the pull toward what wants to emerge next.

If you're in Western New York, there are still a few spots available: Summer 2025 Vision Board Workshop

Not in the Buffalo area? This work translates beautifully to one-on-one coaching. Sometimes the most powerful changes start with a single conversation about what you're really ready to create.

The bottom line: Your brain is already wired for vision-driven change. Most of us just never learned how to use this natural capacity strategically.

What's one vision you've been carrying that feels too big or "unrealistic"? Sometimes those are exactly the ones your brain is most ready to help you achieve. Leave a comment and tell me about it.

Curious and connected,

Marijke Ocean