Mental contrasting. The future casts its shadow on today. Our brain is a prediction machine, increasing our chances of survival by forecasting and planning for the future. We can fantasize about the future—imagining only the good and ignoring reality (but fantasies lower motivation and energy), anxiety and depression —imagining only a bad future disconnected from reality, or get stuck in the present, ignoring the future. None of this works, but we'll discuss what is effective today.
Mental contrasting is a way of thinking about the future by creating a contrast between the present and the future, between the desired goal and its obstacles. We build a connection and bridge the gap between intention and action by linking the goal and reality into a single thought. This grounds our plans, ties them to reality, and anticipates specific actions to overcome obstacles.
By vividly imagining an image of our "future self" and then immediately the current situation, we inevitably create a contrast between these two images. By maintaining this contrast and directing the brain toward the desired changes, our brain is forced to generate ideas and a plan of action to overcome obstacles and reach the desired future.
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| Mental contrasting in Rewellme |
So, what do we need?
We need a contrast between reality and the goal, between the obstacle and the action. Reality—looked in the mirror; the goal—thought it through in detail and visualized it (see the previous post); then it's essential to list all possible obstacles on the way to the goal and write down a specific action for each. This essentially completes the WOOP method (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan), scientifically known as MCII (mental contrasting and implementation intentions). Mental contrasting instigates goal pursuit by linking obstacles of reality with instrumental behavior.
Wish (W): Identify a specific and meaningful wish or goal you want to achieve.
Outcome (O): Visualize the positive outcome of reaching your wish.
Obstacle (O): Realistically consider the potential barriers or challenges that could stand in your way.
Plan (P): Develop an action plan by creating "if-then" scenarios about triggers and obstacles. This step involves being prepared to tackle setbacks and challenges.
WOOP is a strategy that combines two interventions—mental contrast and if-then planning. Its other name is mental contrasting and implementation intentions (MCII). Implementation intentions are like simple, step-by-step plans. They work by saying, "if this situation happens, then I'll do that action," to make it easier to follow through with your goals. This part can be called “process simulation” or “negative fantasy”—instead of enjoying thoughts of a muscular body, you imagine lifting weights, visualizing your sweat during a run, and resisting snacks. Visualizing an action (not a result) leads to following through on that action.
It’s practical to think through all of this on cards with images. This is why Rewellme app is designed, among other things, for mental contrast. You create your goal tag, pick a photo, and create your mental contrast cards. It’s simple!
Examples of wrong goal-setting: positive fantasy (you imagine your beach body and enjoy it), negative fantasy (you get upset that you'll never achieve your dream body), negative acceptance (you resign yourself to the fact that you can't change anything).
1. Mental contrasting: "I want to weigh 72 kg (reference photo) and have new habits; currently, I weigh 85 kg (photo of today) and eat whatever I want." (Imagining yourself becoming fit, together with the challenging reality of needing to resist unhealthy food).
2. Development of instrumental actions contrasted with trigger or obstacle: "Every morning, I have a high-protein breakfast" (trigger-action), If–then statements, such as, “If I get tempted to mindlessly snack, I will go for a short walk instead.” etc.
N.B. The order is critical—think about the future, then the present. First, the obstacle or trigger, then the action (it's easier for the brain to establish the connection this way).
