Imagine your worst-case future so it never sneaks up on you

You’ve set a stretch goal: move to a new city, launch a side business, or slim down ten pounds by spring. Your mind lights up with visions of success. You see the future like a bright canvas, no room for failure. But that very confidence is a warning flare: it hides the branches where things go wrong.

In project planning, this is called a premortem. You imagine the worst-case scenario as if the failure already happened—your startup died on day one, you plateaued thirty pounds above target, or your prototype never shipped. Then you list every reason why: sketchy supply chains, missing skill sets, or a health scare. It’s brutal at first. Your brain fights you, whispers, “You’ll jinx it.” But the payoff is gold: each failure cause becomes a guidepost for preemptive action. Maybe you find a backup supplier, sign up for a cooking-class group to stay motivated, or get a safety net job lined up.

Bringing failure into the light trains your brain to expect bumps in the road, not just smooth sailing. It’s like packing rain gear when the sky looks clear—you’ll stay dry when the storm hits. Importantly, it moves regret forward: you feel the sting of failure before you even make a choice, giving you the power to change course now.

Pick your next big target and write a mock headline—‘We failed to sell 10,000 units by Q4.’ Jot why: poor marketing, supply glitches, lack of training. Then turn each into a proactive task—ramp up ads, vet three vendors, schedule staff workshops. By visualizing failure up front, you’ll sidestep ego traps and build a system that nudges you toward success instead of hoping for luck. Give your premortem a try tonight.