We are raised on a steady diet of “realism.” From the moment we enter the school system, we are told to manage our expectations, to look at the data, and to stay within the lines of what is probable. We are taught that “wishing” is for children and that “doing” must be grounded in cold, hard facts.
But here is the
secret that the most successful people in the world won’t tell you: Logic
is a rearview mirror.
Logic is based
on what has already happened. If you only ever act based on what is
“realistic,” you are condemned to repeat the past. To bridge the gap between
where you are and where you want to be, you don’t need more logic. You need a
healthy dose of delusion.
The “Head
Chef” and the Standard of Excellence
Think about a
student in a high-pressure culinary academy. Why is there a Master Chef
standing over their shoulder while they whisk a simple sauce? It’s not just to
teach them a recipe; it’s to enforce a “delusion” of perfection. To that
student, it might feel like “just a sauce,” but to the Chef, it is a
life-or-death matter of chemistry and art.
The student has
to adopt the “delusion” that they are already a Michelin-star professional,
even while they are still struggling to chop an onion correctly. Without that
external accountability—that “Head Chef” in the room—the student would settle
for “good enough.” But in the world of high-stakes achievement, “good enough”
is the graveyard of potential.
If you want to
move from wishing to doing, you have to become your own Head Chef. You have to
believe that your “sauce”—your blog, your digital planner, your startup—is
already a masterpiece, even when it’s still just a messy draft in a folder.
The Mental
Satisfaction Trap: Why You Should Keep Your Mouth Shut
There is a
specific danger in the “wishing” phase. Have you ever noticed that when you
tell everyone about your big goal, you feel a sudden rush of satisfaction? That
is a hit of dopamine, and it is a trap.
Psychologically,
this is known as The Mental Satisfaction Trap. When you visualize
the “trophy”—the graduation, the $10,000 month, the viral article—your brain
actually confuses that vivid visualization with a real achievement. It releases
the reward chemicals as if the work is already done. Consequently, your “hunger”
to actually sit down and do the work vanishes.
This is why
“feeding your delusions” must be a private, focused act. Don’t visualize the
trophy; visualize the work. This is called Process
Visualization. Instead of picturing yourself on a stage, picture yourself
at 6:00 AM, in the dark, typing the 500th word of your article while everyone
else is asleep. That is the delusion that actually produces results: the belief
that the “boring” work is the most important thing in your world.
The “Devil
Wears Prada” Shift: Inhabiting the Identity
Look at the
character arc of Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada. When she
started at Runway magazine, she was a “realist.” She thought
the fashion world was silly, and she dressed like it. She was failing because
she refused to join the “delusion.”
She only started
to win when she changed her identity. She started dressing like the girl who
belonged in the elevator with Miranda Priestly. She didn’t wait until she was
promoted to act like a top-tier assistant; she “deluded” herself into the role
first.
This is what I
call Strategic Overconfidence. You don’t wait for the world to give
you permission to be a writer. You buy the custom domain, you set up the
professional shop on your blog, and you write with the authority of someone who
has a million readers. When you inhabit the identity, the reality eventually
has no choice but to catch up.
The Science
of the “Reticular Activating System” (RAS)
This isn’t just
“woo-woo” manifestation; it’s biology. Your brain has a filter called the Reticular
Activating System (RAS). Its job is to filter out the millions of pieces of
data you see every day so you don’t go insane.
If you believe
the “realistic” narrative—that you’re just a broke student with no chance—your
RAS will only show you “data” that confirms that. You’ll see the high prices of
domains, the negative comments, and the long hours.
However, when
you “feed the delusion” that you are a rising entrepreneur, your RAS starts
filtering for opportunities. Suddenly, you notice a specific
software tool that makes your work faster. You notice a mentor’s email in your
junk folder. You notice a niche in the market for digital planners that no one
else is filling. You didn’t “manifest” these things; they were always there.
Your delusion just gave you the eyes to see them.
Permission to
be “Cringe”
The biggest
barrier to “doing” is the fear of looking stupid. To be delusional is to be
“cringe.” It is cringe to post your first article when zero people are reading
it. It is cringe to call yourself a “CEO” when you’re working from a dorm room.
But every
“visionary” was “cringe” until they were right.
- The “Wisher” stays quiet because they
don’t want to fail in public.
- The “Doer” feeds the delusion that
their work matters so much that the “cringe” doesn’t matter.
How to Feed
Your Delusions Starting Today:
If you want to
stop wishing and start doing, you need to set up a system that protects your
delusion and fuels your action.
1. Shrink
the First Mile: Don’t try to build a 4,000-line website today. Open a
blank document. Type one sentence. The act of “doing” for two minutes creates
more evidence for your brain than ten hours of “wishing.”
2. External
Accountability: Find your “Head Chef.” Whether it’s an accountability
partner or a public deadline on Substack, create a situation where you are
forced to perform.
3. The
Non-Negotiable Hour: Block out the first hour of your day for your
“delusion.” No emails, no social media. Just you and the work.
4. Buy
the Domain: Put some skin in the game. When you pay for a domain or a
tool, you are telling your brain, “This isn’t a hobby; this is a reality.”
Lastly, The
Bridge to the Impossible
Reality is a
stubborn thing, but it is not fixed. It is a soft clay that is molded by people
who were “delusional” enough to think they could change it.
The next time
someone tells you to “be realistic,” thank them for their concern, and then get
back to work. Feed your delusions. Act like the person you want to be until the
world forgets you were ever anyone else. Stop wishing for the trophy, and start
falling in love with the sweat it takes to get there.
Because at the
end of the day, the only difference between a delusion and a vision is execution.
So, what are you
going to “do” about it today?