Adriana and I

You may not believe the results of this study, but it's okay, I didn't believe them the first time I read it either. In any case, the show must go on.

Daydreaming with a purpose? (source)

Dr. Blaslotto of the University of Chicago orchestrated a study testing the effectiveness of visualization techniques on free-throw shooting. He split his participants into three groups and tested each group on how many free throws they could make in thirty minutes. He then had one group practice free throws every day for an hour. The second group spent an hour every day visualizing themselves making free throws - they were told to visualize themselves from the first-person, to feel the ball as it left their fingertips, to hear the noise of the crowd, and to watch the ball go through the hoop. The final group was told to continue on with their daily lives and not to play basketball.

After thirty days, Dr. Blaslotto tested his participants' free-throw shooting again. The third group who changed nothing, shockingly, did not improve at all. The first group, who spent an hour each day shooting free throws, improved by a respectable 24%. Practice obviously helps you improve your skills. However, how much does practicing in your head help?

Yup. That. Just. Happened. (source)

Well, the second group, who hadn't physically touched a basketball in thirty days, improved by a remarkable 23%! Just 1 measly percent less than those who got out and practiced on the court.

Practice makes perfect, but now we know that you don't need to physically do so as mental practice is nearly as effective! Visualizing may not be as fun as going out and shooting a basketball, but if I'm feeling lethargic and still want to accomplish something, I just may consider grabbing a beer, jumping on the ole hammock, and closing my eyes to visualize.

This study is the first of its kind, and obviously may have been a fluke, but its implications are vast. Imagine if this were the case for golf, if visualizing your swing could improve your score. Do you have any idea of how many rounds would be played at the office? in class? or even on dates? The possibilities are endless. What if it were true for dating? If visualizing yourself with a Victoria Secret model would help you land one. Heck, not such a bad thing to think about. One can only hope that further studies duplicate these results and prove them to be accurate. So badly do I want to be the next Marko Jaric.

B- NBA Player, Marko Jaric, and his wife, Adriana Lima. (source)