Why Visualizing Failure Might Motivate You More Than Visualizing Success
We are constantly told to visualize success.
Picture yourself crossing the finish line. Imagine getting the promotion. See the business succeeding. Visualize yourself reaching your goal.
There is value in that.
But there may be another visualization that is just as powerful:
Picture what happens if you don't do the work.
Imagine reaching the end of the year and realizing you are in exactly the same place. Imagine losing the competition because you skipped the workouts. Imagine watching someone else build the company, get the opportunity, or accomplish the goal you kept telling yourself you were going to pursue.
Then sit with that feeling for a moment.
That discomfort can be powerful fuel.
The Problem With Only Visualizing Success
Research by psychologist Gabriele Oettingen and colleagues has found an interesting distinction between positive expectations and simply fantasizing about an ideal future.
Believing that success is realistically attainable can motivate action. But repeatedly indulging in positive fantasies about already having achieved the goal has sometimes been associated with lower effort and worse performance.
Why?
One possibility is that your brain gets a small taste of the emotional reward before you've done the work required to earn it.
You imagine the six-pack.
You imagine the successful company.
You imagine crossing the marathon finish line.
It feels good.
But feeling good isn't necessarily the same thing as becoming motivated to act.
Now Imagine Losing
Human beings also appear to be highly motivated by avoiding losses.
In experimental research, participants have been willing to exert more effort to avoid a loss than to obtain an equivalent gain.
That suggests a different way to think about motivation.
Don't only ask:
"What will my life look like if I succeed?"
Also ask:
"What will my life look like if I don't?"
Imagine yourself six months from now if you keep skipping workouts.
Imagine another year passing without starting the business.
Imagine entering the competition knowing you didn't prepare as hard as you could have.
Imagine having to tell yourself:
"I could have done more."
Sometimes that image creates urgency that the picture of success doesn't.
Michael Jordan and the Hatred of Losing
Michael Jordan is frequently used as the ultimate example of extreme competitiveness.
His mentality wasn't simply about enjoying winning. Stories from teammates, opponents, coaches, and Jordan himself have long portrayed someone who took losses personally and used them as motivation.
That doesn't mean everyone should obsess over losing.
But it illustrates an important distinction:
Wanting to win pulls you forward.
Hating the idea of losing can push you from behind.
Sometimes you need both.
The Better Strategy: See the Goal AND the Obstacle
Psychologists call one related technique mental contrasting.
Instead of only imagining the future you want, you picture that desired future and then contrast it with the obstacles standing between you and that future.
Research suggests this process can increase energization and goal commitment when people believe the goal is realistically achievable. More recent research has also found that contrasting an unwanted future with a valued present can help translate concern about negative outcomes into preventive behavior.
So your visualization might look like this:
The Goal:"I'm going to lose 15 pounds."
The Failure:"If I continue my current habits, I'm going to look and feel exactly the same six months from now."
The Obstacle:"I keep ordering unhealthy food when I'm tired after work."
The Action:"I'm going to prepare dinner before I get hungry."
Now visualization isn't just inspiration.
It's a strategy.
Try the Two-Future Exercise
The next time you're pursuing an important goal, spend a few minutes visualizing two different futures.
First, visualize success.
Picture yourself accomplishing the goal. Feel the pride. Think about what your life looks like because you followed through.
Then visualize failure.
Picture yourself knowing you had the opportunity but didn't take it. Feel the disappointment. Imagine the consequences of continuing your current habits for another six months or another year.
Then ask yourself one question:
Which future am I building with what I do today?
Don't obsess over failure.
Use it.
Sometimes the fear of where you don't want to go provides just as much energy as excitement about where you do.
Visualize the win.
But every once in a while, visualize the loss too.
Then get to work.
Get After It!!
-Austin
Comments