Today we will explore how imagination helps your goal attainment. Many of us may have encountered advice on how to achieve our goal: “imagine how happy you will be when you attain your goal!” Could this be true? Or could this act of imagination backfire? Read this post to learn more about the effects of imagination on goal attainment!
- What is Imagination & Creativity?
- What are the Effects of Imagination?
- How To Imagine Effectively?
- Summary
What is Imagination & Creativity?
First, let’s define what creativity, imagination, and fantasy means. Throughout the article, we will focus on using imagination for productivity.
- Definition of creativity: creativity is defined as the generation of ideas that are original and valuable. Creativity relies on imagination.
- Definition of Imagination: According to Merriam-Webster, imagination means “power of forming a mental image of something … never wholly perceived in reality,” or simply, “a creation of the mind.”
- Definition of fantasy: fantasy is a process of creating something unrealistic in response to psychological need. It is distinct from imagination in a sense that while the imagination is related to reality, fantasy is related to unreality.
What are the Effects of Imagination?
As Albert Einstein said, “imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
- Imagination and goal attainment:
- A 2017 study on imagining carrying out a task successfully helps improve a performance by improving self-regulatory behavior. Similarly, a study found that learners imagining a procedure or concept performs better than learners studying the material.
- A 2000 study on school children aged 8-12 years showed that those who mentally elaborated a desired academic future and present reality were more likely to stick to their goal commitments than those who either only indulged in the desired future or merely dwelling on the present.
- Another experiment in the same study showed that specifying where, when and how they would start goal pursuit were comparatively more successful in meeting their goal.
- It also showed that connecting anticipated situations with goal-directed behaviors (such as if-then statements) than merely thinking about opportunities to act makes the children more likely to act on their goals.
- Imagination and mental health:
- What could be the effect of goal-directed imagination on mental health? A 2021 study on 153 adults showed that goals that were more attainable, under control, and expected to bring more joy and had imaginations with more clarity, detail, and positivity had higher well-being and lower depressive symptoms.
- Depressed individuals may have more negative, overgeneralized, and imprecise imagination. A 2013 study explains that points out that depressed individuals are more likely to give fewer examples of positive, detailed, and specific future events than non-depressed individuals.
- Imagination and memory:
- One of the types of memories is a visual memory. It is no surprising then that visual memory is associated with imagination. An MRI study (? source) points out that process of imagining can improve retaining short-or-long-term memories.
- A 2015 study showed that for those aged more than 85 years old, cognitive stimulation therapy that incorporates imagination and creativity may also reduce risk of memory problems.
- Social effects (interpersonal relationship quality)
- A 2014 study showed that daydreaming about a others whom the daydreamer had a high quality relationship was associated with increased happiness, love, and connection
- A 2013 study found that imagination can also boost a relationship between a certain brand and a consumer. Whether having similar brand improve the relationships between people have not been studied yet.
How To Imagine Effectively?
Have you ever had a writer’s block, where you cannot come up with an innovative topic to write about even as you wish you come up with something to write about? One of the reasons why we face a writer’s block could be because we were not intrinsically motivated to write. According to the Imagination Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, individuals who are intrinsically motivated tend to be more creative; those who engage in creative activities for the sake of the activities themselves are better able to come up with original and valuable ideas. Wanting to help others may also increase the likelihood of becoming more creative.
- Activities to boost imagination
- Question: instead of passively consuming information, actively ask questions validity of the information. Ownership of ideas can help improve imagination
- Investigate: actively seek out information for your need for your purpose
- Collaborate: to promote multidisciplinary thinking, work with people from different backgrounds, exchanging and probing information
- Experiment: using the information at hand, explore new possibilities and discuss with collaborators what could be new ways to apply the knowledge
- Reflect: creative writing, self-reflection, listening to inspiring non-lyrical music, immersing into creative films/book can boost your imagination. Taking a walk or meditating could be helpful too.
- Other activities
- A 2009 study found that staring at color blue may help improve more imagination, while staring at color red may increase likelihood of paying more attention to details.
Summary
We have explored the benefits of imagination in attaining goals, improve memory, and steps that we can easily take to boost imagination and creative activity. Imagination can be a way to proactively create one’s own life path. If you feel you would benefit from proactively constructing your future, try boosting your imagination!
Disclaimer: This web post is for information purposes. If you have medical needs, please contact your primary care physician.
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