Nir Eyal

Athletes, they vision things.

Isn't that what athletes do?

Yes, but what do athletes vision?

Athletes don't do a visioning exercise where they get the trophy or the medal.

They envision the obstacles in their way and specifically how they will react physically and psychologically to those barriers.

That's what's missing.

So this is called mental contrasting.

You're contrasting the outcomes you want with how you will feel about the obstacles in your way.

So one of the things that helped me most in my weight loss journey

was not, oh, I'm gonna sit here and envision that I have a beach body.

That wasn't helpful.

That actually backfired.

Because what happened when it wouldn't work?

Well, then am I not envisioning hard enough?

Am I messed up?

Am I broken?

And so I would start ruminating on how I couldn't do it because there was something wrong with me.

When really what I should have done and what I eventually did start doing

was visioning what I will do when I encounter the obstacle.

And how do I make sure that I'm strong enough to overcome that obstacle?