In order to get the most of out of your mental training, it's important to know the goal of your exercises. Setting a goal will give you the motivation to follow through. It will also help you know the precise actions you need to take in order to get there.

There are as many methods of mental training as there are reasons to practice. Training visualization abilities, enhancing IQ or developing concentration skills can all have a place in your mental training regimen. First, it's a good idea to recognize the purpose of your training. From there you will be able to select a technique which best suits your needs.

I will describe three techniques which I personally use in my mental training Tinnitus regimen. These techniques help me in various areas of my life. I attest that they are all effective for their intended purpose.

Meditation - I believe that meditation should be at the core of any self-improvement exercises.

Meditation helps develop concentration and awareness, as well as having many health benefits. It is proven to increase growth in areas of the brain responsible for regulating emotions. All of these benefits combine to form a practice which will help you develop a confident mindset in anything you do.

There are many resources available to learn how to begin a proper meditation practice. I recommend researching proven techniques for meditating.

IQ training with Dual-N-Back - This method is useful if you are looking to develop your working memory. In a recent study, this training task has been proven to effectively increase IQ by up to 40%.

There are many free Dual-N-back programs that you can find online. Do a search for 'Brain Workshop', which is available for both Mac and Windows users. Practicing with this program for 20 minutes a day will develop your concentration and memory.

I have personally used this training method to increase my score on a professionally administered, timed IQ test. If you are looking to increase your IQ score, for a job promotion or personal challenge, I highly recommend this method.

Visualization skills training - Building visualization skills is another well-rounded mental training technique. This technique has been written about in self-help books for a long time. There is a reason for this, it works!

Using visualization to achieve goals is a method used by top athletes, trainers, business people, artists and successful professionals.

The basis of this technique, is gathering information to build a detailed image within the mind's eye. Collecting information to create an image helps build focus while working towards a goal.

Once the details of an image are formed, then it's important to practice visualizing the desired result for 10 minutes, two times daily. Create the image in your mind with as much detail and clarity as possible. This is one of the reasons why I recommended meditation as well. To become truly immersed in the practice, you need to have mental clarity. This allows all of your energy to be placed on imagining your desired outcome. Focusing all of your efforts on your internal picture, helps create actual results naturally.