Mental Contrasting: Balancing Optimism with Reality
Combine positive vision with obstacle awareness for realistic goal pursuit.
WOOP: Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. Oettingen's method combines optimism with pragmatism—wanting something, imagining success, identifying obstacles, planning responses.
The WOOP Method
Pure positive visualization can reduce motivation when obstacles appear unexpectedly. Mental contrasting addresses obstacles in advance, building realistic momentum.
Want it, visualize it, expect obstacles, plan for them.
Practicing WOOP
- Wish: What do you want?
- Outcome: Best-case scenario
- Obstacle: What's in the way?
- Plan: If obstacle, then action
Be optimistic about possibilities, realistic about obstacles.
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