One Apple A Day #999 - Prospection
Prospection is a term coined by psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Timothy Wilson in 2007. It is the generation and evaluation of mental representations of possible futures.
It is a vital activity for learning and growth. If we hold a clear picture of our future self, then there are more chances that we will find the motivation and the grit to get there.
That's why before any learning journey, we should ask ourselves who do we want to be and what do we want to have at the end of the process.
Those are tricky questions, however.
Who you want to be is the result of your thinking. And your thoughts are confined within the boundaries of your mind, your conditioning and limiting beliefs.
Who you can be, is probably much bigger, powerful and creative.
That's why, if you really want to innovate yourself, you need to not rush into imagining your future self and instead begin by going through a process of subtraction. One through which you can subtract your conditioning and create a free, open and unconditioned space where your future self will reveal to you.
So your future self won't be just something you want.
It will feel inevitable. Your very own destiny to fulfil.
That will give a massive boost to your intrinsic motivation.