Visualization practice strategies with consistency problems?

[Asanthri]

Hi, I've been browsing the forum here for a while, and last October started developing my first tulpa. His appearance and personality directly originated from an OC of mine, and he's been pretty vocal from very early on. I've been referring back to the forum periodically for ideas to help him develop, and our current focus is visualization.

 

With that all said, I have some struggles at times with focus and consistency. My mind has a tendency to wander off, or back to other things that have recently been on my mind, and I have problems with making habits stick. I've tried to incorporate a few concepts for visualization practice and other tulpa development ideas, but I've often fallen out of practicing them after a few days.

 

It's not impossible for me to keep to something consistent, I maintain a steady job, join with friends for weekly hangouts online, and have found ways of keeping up with certain healthy habits to a higher consistency than otherwise, but it's still a general sticking point for me. I do strongly suspect that I'm neurodivergent, but I've never gone for a formal diagnosis.

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for things I can try? Whether that's a strategy for visualization or focus or both or whatever, I'm happy with any help I can receive. If you need more information or context, I'm happy to provide it.

[mattx]

Neurodivergent here, we're on the same boat - as I am notorious for getting bored quickly and hopping from one interest to another, and as an adhd "enjoyer" it means I have always had a terrible time making habits my entire life.

The thing about habits is, they don't have to be a 0->100 kinda thing. You just need to start small, very small - super very small, even just a few minutes a day - in this case, visualization. If you skip a day due to forgetting or because you were busy, it's okay. Don't punish yourself but remember that "feeling of guilt" as it will be fuel for not forgetting the next time.

 

Visualization can be done anywhere really, you don't have to lie in bed or on a sofa or anything like that, even if you're taking the bus or you're on break on your own you can just close your eyes and focus for a bit. The key about making habits is doing small steps consistently, because if you do too much too "quickly" you're gonna hate the process and then you won't want to stick with it anymore.

That being said, it's equally as easy to break a habit too, if you don't do it for long enough, you won't feel "compelled" to do it anymore - discipline is an annoying thing, I suspect many of those with a strong discipline either do it for "bragging rights" or because they think they'll make them better than those who don't have it, but that's just me rambling at this point.

 

Small steps, be consistent. They say it's a marathon, not a race

 

Regarding visualization and "wandering" off, it happens to me a lot, although arguably less than when I was younger.
What we found helped for me is to just "acknowledge" that I drifted off and just continue on my way, and when I do wonderland immersion I try to symbolize that wandering off as something that "happens" during the visualization, not while I visualize - so at the end of it when I "snap back" I am still where I want to be.

Sometimes Cheryl also helps me in telling me when I drift away, although it depends on my state of mind (if I've been having a rough day/period for example, my mind will wander off more than if I'm just chilling)

Edited August 16, 2025 by matt.exe
more info