Unlocking Success Through Inverted Thinking

How often do you visualize 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 that’s OK.

But here’s my question: Have you ever thought of 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’s been a game-changer in my daily life. It’s called inverted thinking, and it’s both amazing and terrifying at the same time.

Think about how easy it is to visualize a goal. You can unpack everything you need to do to achieve it—the steps, the people involved, the places you need to be, and how you’ll feel when you succeed. It’s a pretty fun experience.

But what if you could use human psychology to your advantage and increase the likelihood of achieving your goal? That’s what inverted thinking is all about. Instead of focusing on how you’ll achieve your goal, you focus on all the ways you won’t.

Human beings are hardwired to look for danger and avoid it. Daniel Kahneman, who won a Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on Prospect Theory, found that "a person is twice as likely to avoid a loss than go for a gain." In other words, we’re naturally conservative. So, inverted thinking taps into this instinct—but in a way that’s not automatic.

How to Use Inverted Thinking

Take weight loss as an example. Let’s say I want to lose 20 lbs. My typical action items would include exercising regularly, eating less, and drinking more water. These are the steps that would get me to my goal.

But if I flip the script and ask myself how not to lose 20 lbs, I would come up with a different list:

• Not working out regularly
• Sitting at my desk all day
• Watching TV for 4-5 hours every night
• Drinking booze constantly
• Eating dessert every day
• Avoiding consistency with my regimen
• Avoiding accountability with friends and family

The list of ways not to achieve my goal would be more extensive and encompassing, naturally highlighting blind spots. This list then becomes my guide of what not to do, increasing the likelihood of achieving my goal. Pretty cool, right?

Why Inverted Thinking Matters in Financial Planning

You might be wondering why a financial planner is talking about not completing goals. My job is results-based—my number one task is to help people achieve their goals. I uncover and identify blind spots for clients because often, they don’t know what they don’t know.

But you can harness inverted thinking too. Think about what would keep you from:

• Retiring comfortably
• Saving $5,000
• Minimizing your tax burden (many people unwittingly ask how to maximize it!)

Write down your answers, and then do the opposite. Your pocketbook, waistline, and career will thank you.

What Are You Thinking?

What are you thinking about right now? Drop me a line and let me know—I’d love to hear from you. And if this message resonated with you, please share it with someone who might benefit from it.

But most importantly, have an amazing week.

-David

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