Counterfactual thinking is a mental process consisting of imagining alternative ways of behavior in a given situation and comparing them with how we actually behaved. The latest research shows this technique can significantly help individuals recover from their failures and improve future performance.
According to the Harvard Business Review website, the following five steps are necessary to understand failures in a broader context. We will realize what exactly led and did not lead to a failure. We will also earn to find new possibilities of solving the same situation in the future.
1. Imagine a better result
Imagine how you could have succeeded. Concentrate only on yourself and your behavior, not on other people and circumstances.
2. Imagine an even better result
Try to find another alternative to succeed in the given situation you were not thinking about originally. You will learn how to not rely on the first idea and look for more options instead.
3. Imagine a different way to achieve the same result
Think what you could have done differently even if it brings the same failure. The purpose of this step is to identify obstacles you did not see in the given situation. This information may come in handy.
4. Imagine how the same process could bring a different result
Every step you took could have turned out differently. People you spoke with may, for example, have reacted in the opposite way. The surroundings also could have been different. The purpose of this thinking is to realize that even external factors play their role. These factors are beyond your control, but you can prepare for them in advance.
5. Imagine a worse result
Find another way of dealing with the situation which could turn out even worse. First you will feel better because you did not done the worst thing and second, you will better understand what exactly happened.
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