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Universal Ethics > Ideas > Journey in the mind

Imagined Journey

A journey conducted first in the mind is more likely to be successful than one conducted first on the feet.

Imagination can be powerful. It is well known that athletes can improve their success by taking some time prior to the game to visualize the techniques they will use, and to study their opponents. Similarly, successful actors rehearse in advance, and not just their lines: they consider how they will say the words, they choose where they will walk or stand and the gestures they will use, and they imagine how the character they are portraying would feel. Imagination can be used in other endeavors too, to prepare for any challenging situation you may face.

Planning can be powerful. Consider that many achievements in life have pre-requisites. Most careers require specific education as a pre-requisite for an entry-level job. The education itself often requires planning out the courses to be taken, which themselves have pre-requisites. Apart from career, there are also strategies that can be used for planning any personal goal, including such things as: discovering new friends, improving your fitness, completing small projects, and engaging other people in goals of mutual interest.

By using imagination and planning together, you are conducting a journey in your mind. When you rehearse the steps, and consider how you might handle various situations that may arise, you are preparing yourself so that you will know what to do. This also enables you to withstand pressure or temptations that others may put on you to make regretable choices, because you will have considered the long term implications of those choices. It helps you to be prepared. It helps you to have "time-independant judgement," so that you are happy with your decisions both at the moment and later.

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