Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash
When was the last time you allowed yourself the luxury of allowing your mind to wander and meander at leisure? Did you find yourself peering out the window or day dreaming? Isn’t it just liberating to have no ‘to do list’ or schedule to adhere to? Isn’t it uplifting to spin fantasies and far-fetched scenarios?
As it so happens, this is nothing to frown upon as being a waste of time. This is being recognized as a much needed capacity of the human brain to nurture and enhance. The decades long focus on how the past shapes the present and the future has served us well. However, as John Seely Brown, researcher & scientist points out, today’s ‘whitewater world’ compels us to turn our attention on how thinking about the future shapes the present and the future.
Whitewater world of work refers to the fast moving waters of the rapids wherein your cognitive agility as a kayaker trains you to watch and read the currents to help navigate you safely without capsizing into the rushing water. At the same time you have to be attuned to your own axis of balance which he compares to your authenticity and integrity. To stay afloat be centered in your authentic self as you move swiftly towards disparate and endless possibilities.
The mental process of projecting and evaluating future possibilities is called Prospection. “It is a defining psychological capability for our era,” say Tomorrowmind authors, Kellerman and Seligman. It is touted as an essential skill for today’s workers churning amidst the waters of constant, rapid change. In my work as a coach I have found leaders consistently flag ‘the ability to adapt to change’ as a top focus recommendation for professional growth of their direct reports.
- Phase 1:
Prospection invites day dreaming, free, imaginative thinking and fantasy. Innovation and creativity is born out of day dreaming and envisioning a future with limitless possibilities. When we are at rest, the brain awakens to play at whim and engage in such unfettered activity. The time spent here is naturally brief.
- Phase 2:
Prospection also includes planning and predicting. Now comes the practical aspects of identifying risks to avoid, and decisions to make about positive actions with the scope for optimistic outcomes. The time spent here needs to be longer and deliberately set aside for careful planning. Finally, comes executing positive applications for real time use.
First, it is about letting our mind explore the vast universe in unscripted ways engaging the default mode network of the brain. Next, it is about separating the grain from the chaff, engaging the salience network of the brain. Finally, it is about using that which is beneficial and promising and discarding that which is harmful and limiting, using the executive control network of the brain. The crux lies in how we use this information to guide our thought and action. It develops our foresight muscle.
Prospection robustly combines both the free reign of mind-wandering and the steady reigning in of mindfulness. So give yourself regular down time to leave the present behind. The next time you find yourself staring out into the ‘yonder’, be gentle with yourself, let go guilt-free, and see what delight awaits.