What’s the best, practical and worst case scenario?

If creative people are to believe in the possibility of success more than the probability of failure, then it’s helpful to have options.

To envision multiple trajectories that projects might take once they launch.

It’s kind of like a movie with an alternate ending. Don’t you love it when filmmakers do that? They include two or three options for story resolutions in the last ten minutes of the film, leaving viewers wondering which of the endings was the real one. It’s wildly entertaining.

And this dramatic device not only makes for a thought provoking film, but it’s also a powerful lesson on the art of possibility. Because for the audience members, taking a momentary glimpse into that other reality shows them what could have happened to the characters.

Simply by allowing that possibility to cross their mind means that it now exists on some other plane in some other universe.

Linklater talks about this concept in his cult classic film about slackers:

Every decision you make, the thing you choose not to do, fractions off and becomes its own reality, and just goes on from there forever. You’ll think about going all those directions, and then you pick one. But all those other directions, just because you thought about them, became separate realities. Entirely different movies, but you’ll never see them because you’re kind of trapped in this one reality restriction.

All entrepreneurs can embrace this concept with a tool called end framing. In the personal creativity management lexicon, end framing is when you paint a compelling, detailed picture of the desired future so you can make meaningful strides toward it.

My recommendation is to give yourself three options. Three alternate endings to your own movie, so to speak.

Say you’re launching a new software platform.

The first option is called the best case scenario.

Imagine your product is reviewed by top tier media outlets, gains hundreds of thousands of users and earns millions of dollars in annual recurring revenue. Wow, think about what that level of success would make possible for you.

Next, try the realistic case scenario.

Imagine your product gets solid exposure, a few thousand users and earns enough revenue to sustain the business and add new features down the road. Sure, you’re not necessarily a millionaire, but think about would become possible with that realistic level of success.

Finally, stretch your mind to the worst case scenario.

Imagine you launch something awesome that you’re really proud of, but nobody notices, talks about or pays for it. It just kind of sits there. You’re out several thousand dollars, and the flop makes you feel rejected and hopeless.

That alternate ending totally sucks. And you’d rather not watch that movie.

However, the humility of envisioning that scene as your end frame is important. Because probability of failure is very real, even if the possibility of success is more entertaining.

Ultimately, whatever resolution your story takes, you’re better for having envisioned it.

Seneca wrote in his letters to a stoic that anything which has been touched by virtue will be fraught with blessing and prosperity for you, no matter how it shall be regarded by others.

That’s how prolific creators approach their projects. We trust that the work is meaningful by virtue of its process alone.

We allow ourselves to imagine multiple relaties of how the art plays out.

And we let the chips fall where they may.

Are you only watching one movie because you’re trapped in one reality restriction?