Consciously sending a mental “message received, safe to proceed” signal to your brain is a simple and surprisingly effective way to make yourself sto… - Josh Kaufman

If one felt successful, there’d be so little incentive to be successful.

This mental simulation also gives me a shopping list: I’d need to invest in a flotation vest, helmet, and other safety gear. Now, instead of (1) raft river (2) have fun (3) don’t die, I have a concrete list of subskills to practice and actions to take to ensure I actually have fun, keep my gear, and survive the trip. Inversion works.

The trick is to start practicing as quickly as possible. Not thinking about practicing or worrying about practicing, but actually practicing.