By Jake Sheperd, Synthesis Co-founder, Technical Director & Hero Builder
When I was young I dreamed that I could fly and everyone would realise how amazing I was: the only human being who could fly. It turns out that I did not have the superpower of flight. But I did have another power; the power of imagination.
I am not the only person with this superpower. You have it too. The way you use it is to imagine your future. Imagine what you could accomplish if you made enough good decisions.
One of those good decisions is to invest in yourself. Investing in yourself can range from small to great acts. Don’t overlook the small. Creating small positive habits can lead to continuous improvements that compound overtime. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, explains the value of becoming 1% better each day. This percentage is not noticeable in the short term but within a year, this compounds to create a true impact. The best part about small investments is that they are attainable.
I want to encourage you to make not only good decisions, but start to imagine what those decisions could accomplish.
Life is hard; success in life is even harder. However, if you cannot image being successful then it is impossible.
When you make a mistake, imagine what you could have done better to have avoided the mistake. Then try again with a new approach.
If imagination is so awesome then why don’t we all just embrace it? The answer is simple: Imagination is scary. When you paint a picture of who you could be, you not only define what success looks like, but also what failure looks like if you don’t manage to be successful.
The first secret is to practice using imagination. Practice small. Imagine what a great tomorrow could look like. Maybe if I just showed people close to me that I love them and care about them. Start dreaming.
Then imagine what next month or next year could look like if you worked hard and shouldered as much responsibility as you could. See how much you can achieve following your imagination.
The second secret is you must practice acting on your imagination. You need to turn dreams into action. Like any other skill this improves with practice. Don’t start with large dreams. Start small and in time these add together and transform.
Make imagination your friend. Invite it as a permanent guest into your life so you can start to dream of a future that is remarkable. Don’t let others tell you what you can’t do. Imagine what you can do and work towards that every day.
