Why Imagination is a Skill Worth Developing

Imagination. Something that came naturally as a child, but less so now as an adult.

Using your imagination is not only a powerful practice, but I’d also argue it’s a skill. We’re so habituated to tackle our tasks, and plan, by using logic that imagination seems like a vague memory or a useless undertaking. Given the power of imagination in my life and my clients’ lives, I feel that’s a shame. Here’s why.

Back in 2015, when I was still teaching, I did an exercise where I envisioned myself having my own coaching practice. Seven months later, I was coaching full-time. Since then, I revisited the exercise and other things came up (as they typically do as you grow and change). Now I’m pretty much -not exact, but very close- to living what I imagined in the last exercise. Hence my belief in the power of imagination.

I’ve seen this power unfold in my clients’ lives too. Recently, I was doing this exercise with a client who was living in Toronto at the time. In the exercise, she imagined herself living in a more rural setting, with plenty of green space, giving her the opportunity to walk and hike at leisure. Fast forward several months, she and her husband moved to rural, Ontario. She loves it and I couldn’t be happier for her.

Another client sent me a testament to the power of imagination years back via email. She was updating me about an offer she got four weeks before her contract was going to end. It was full-time, as she envisioned, and she had an office space to herself in a beautiful new building that was bright due to a lot of windows. Something she also imagined during our exercise together.

Don’t get me wrong, logic is great and much needed, but it has its limitations. As Albert Einstein once said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” This quote highlights an important distinction: logic helps us solve specific problems and get from point A to point B effectively. On the other hand, imagination is what allows us to push past limitations and explore possibilities we hadn't considered before.

Glennon Doyle in her book Untamed discusses both. In it, Doyle highlights how crucial imagination is to creating change. She shares she first had to envision a better life before she could actually build it. Even if we can’t see it with our eyes, we can somehow sense better versions of ourselves, and our world, deep down. To her, “imagination is how personal and worldwide revolutions begin.”

This is why I believe it’s a skill. Using our imagination can be a catalyst for transformation, both personally and collectively. Imagining of course isn’t enough; it requires real effort and action as well.

If you feel you’ve lost touch with your imagination, you can reconnect with it by:

·      Creating a vision board or mind movie (a video or movie of your aspirations and visions).

·      Doing some free association art and writing.

·      Journaling about your ideal day and life.

·      Partaking in embodied practices.

·      Meditating.

·      Making a playdate with yourself or with friends.

·      Following your curiosity and inspiration.

This is not an exhaustive list, of course, but it should rekindle some imaginative juices.

Nurturing your imagination is not only good for you, but also good for others too. We can become better versions of ourselves and in turn create better societal change.

Best,

Ps. If you’re struggling to envision a better life for yourself, you can schedule a Get Acquainted & Strategy Session to explore next steps.