Okay this is a mind bender concept. No doubt you have heard that visualization is a great tool for setting goals. And I do not intend to refute that claim - visualization is a very powerful tool that can yield remarkable results. And visualization as a concept aligns very nicely with the concept of the future successful self - something I invoke very frequently. I have conversations with my future self almost daily as alluded to in moment #30, borrow belief. So I am a big fan of visualization.

Here is the controversy - while visualization IS amazing for setting goals it’s not so great for the pursuit of that goal or for keeping us motivated. Like I said its a bit of a mind bender. Setting a goal and pursuit of that goal are two different things. You need another tool to take the steps to achieve that goal.

Recent research in neuroscience suggest that imagining what might go wrong along the way to your goal and why that would be a bad thing almost doubles the likelihood you will achieve your goal. It’s what neuroscientists call foreshadow failure - imagining what might go wrong and why that is bad, underlies and drives our motivation. It’s totally counterintuitive. For example, let’s say you want to get fit so that you can look fantastic in your cute little black dress. You plan to add some upper body strength training to your daily workout. You visualize yourself in a tailored, sleeveless dress with nicely defined biceps and triceps. Perfect, you have set your goal. Now imagine you don’t follow through with strength training because it’s something you really don’t enjoy. The consequence? Droopy triceps. UGH! Foreshadow failure. That self generated concern about droopy triceps acts as a motivator to keep you working at it so that you progress closer to your goal over time.

I will confess I find it hard to believe that predicting droopy triceps is going to motivate me to buckle down on my strength training, even if the neuroscientists on the internet tell me it will double my likelihood of success. I’m truly not convinced.