Unlocking Success Through Inverted Thinking
How often do you think about your goals and dreams? If you're anything like me, it might be every day, every hour, or even every minute. I know I think about my goals constantly, and honestly, that’s OK.
But here’s my question: Have you ever thought about your goals and dreams upside down?
Before we dive into inverted thinking, I have a favor to ask. If you think this message would resonate with someone you know, or if you believe they’d enjoy it, please share this post.
What Is Inverted Thinking?
I came across this concept a few months ago, and it has honestly been a game changer in my daily life. It’s called inverted thinking, and it’s both fascinating and slightly terrifying at the same time.
Think about how easy it is to visualize a goal. You can break down everything you need to do to achieve it: the steps, the people involved, the places you need to be, and even how you’ll feel once you succeed. It’s actually a pretty fun exercise.
But what if you could use human psychology to your advantage and increase the likelihood of actually reaching your goal? That’s what inverted thinking is all about. Instead of focusing only on how you’ll achieve your goal, you focus on all the ways you won’t.
Human beings are naturally wired to look for danger and avoid it. Daniel Kahneman, who won a Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on Prospect Theory, found that people are far more motivated to avoid losses than they are to pursue gains. In other words, we naturally lean conservative. Inverted thinking taps into that instinct in a way most people never think about.
How to Use Inverted Thinking
Take weight loss as an example. Let’s say I want to lose 20 pounds. My normal action items would probably include exercising consistently, eating less, and drinking more water. Those are the obvious steps that could help me reach my goal.
But if I flip the process around and ask myself how NOT to lose 20 pounds, I come up with a completely different list:
Not working out regularly
Sitting at my desk all day
Watching TV for 4 to 5 hours every night
Drinking alcohol constantly
Eating dessert every day
Avoiding consistency with my routine
Avoiding accountability with friends and family
What’s interesting is that the list of ways not to achieve the goal is often more detailed and more revealing. It naturally exposes blind spots that might otherwise go unnoticed.
That list then becomes a guide for what to avoid, which can significantly improve the likelihood of reaching the goal. Pretty cool, right?
Why Inverted Thinking Matters in Financial Planning
You might be wondering why a financial planner is talking about not accomplishing goals. The reason is simple. My job is results based. One of the biggest parts of financial planning is helping people identify blind spots they may not see on their own.
A lot of the time, people simply don’t know what they don’t know.
But you can use inverted thinking in your own financial life too. Think about what would prevent you from:
Retiring comfortably
Saving your first $5,000
Minimizing your tax burden
Building long term financial security
Write down your answers, and then focus on doing the opposite. Your finances, health, career, and future self will thank you for it.