Negative visualization

There’s always a critic. And that’s ok!

Books, plays, movies, songs, youtube videos, TV shows, policies, products of any kind. Anything that is shared publicly is open for criticism. Sometimes it drives us mad. The bad reviews or critics are making us consider if we made the right decision or analysis.

For someone creating a business it can also be paralysing. The fear of criticism and bad reviews. As much as this is paralysing it can also be empowering. Ancient greek pholisophers talk about negative visualization. Applied to creators it means that you visualize the things that can go wrong in your project. Criticism is one of them. Knowing and accepting is a way to free yourself from the possible outcome and focus on the task at the hand. Creating your thing.

If you go to see a movie a number of things can go wrong. It’s sold out, you get a bad seat, the theater has techinal problems, the movie is bad, there’s someone talking, etc. You get the idea. Accept and you can navigate whatever happens and not get paralysed, frustated, annoyed that something happened to you.

Negative visualization will help you develop thick skin.