By going over your day in imagination before you begin it, you

The words of Dorothea Brande — “By going over your day in imagination before you begin it, you can begin acting successfully at any moment.” — are a quiet revelation, a call to awaken the creative power of the mind. In her wisdom, Brande, a writer and teacher of self-mastery, reminds us that the world we live in is first born within us. Every act begins as a thought, every triumph as a vision. Through imagination, we shape not only dreams but destiny. To see one’s day before it unfolds is to take the throne of one’s own consciousness — to become ruler of the unseen realm from which all visible deeds emerge.

In the ancient world, the wise called this practice preparation of the soul. Before warriors went to battle, before priests entered the temple, before poets raised their voices to the gods, they first envisioned the act — its movements, its meaning, its end. The mind rehearsed what the body would later perform. Brande’s teaching echoes this timeless discipline: that to live deliberately, one must first see oneself living well. To go over the day in imagination is to summon clarity and purpose — to make ready the heart before the hour strikes.

Consider the tale of Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, who, before dawn each day, would meditate upon the trials to come. He would imagine insult, difficulty, and loss — and prepare to meet each with calm and virtue. In doing so, he was not courting despair, but mastering it. Because he had already walked the path in his mind, no shadow of the day could shake him. His success was not born of luck, but of forethought — the imagination turned inward, becoming the compass of action.

Dorothea Brande speaks from the same tradition. She teaches that by imagining your day, you create a map of triumph. You rise not as a leaf tossed by circumstance, but as a captain steering through storm and sunlight alike. The imagination, when directed, becomes a divine ally. It is the bridge between what is and what might be. To see yourself strong, calm, and wise in the face of trial is to begin weaving those qualities into your being. The mind rehearses greatness, and the body obeys.

In this way, imagination becomes not fantasy, but foresight — a sacred act of creation. The sculptor sees the statue within the marble before striking the chisel; the architect sees the cathedral before the stones are laid. So too must a person see the life they wish to live before stepping into it. When Brande says you can act successfully “at any moment,” she means that success is never far away — it is as near as your own thought. The moment you envision your purpose with faith and precision, you align your mind with its fulfillment.

History tells us of Napoleon Bonaparte, a man whose victories were born long before his armies marched. He was said to pace for hours before battle, seeing every move unfold in his mind. He had already fought and won before the first cannon fired. Whether in war or peace, in art or endeavor, the principle is the same: those who imagine with intent act with mastery. The act of visualization is not mere hope — it is the rehearsal of victory, the discipline of a mind that refuses chaos.

Let this, then, be the lesson to all who seek success or serenity: imagine your day before you live it. In the morning, close your eyes and walk through your hours in peace. See yourself answering with patience, working with focus, smiling through adversity. Let your imagination draw the path your feet will later tread. The more vividly you see your triumph, the more surely you will live it.

And so the ancients would tell us — the universe bends to the pattern first set within the heart. He who commands his imagination commands his fate. For the day does not begin when the sun rises, but when your mind awakens to its purpose. Therefore, awaken early — not in body alone, but in spirit. Go over your day in vision, and when you step into the world, walk as one who has already lived it in strength, and found it good.