Let’s say you are presented with a scenario that includes a prediction — reviewing a job offer, making a health decision, or reviewing a product to purchase. Here are three questions you can use to generate a picture of future-reality, adapted from Donella H. Meadows’ “Thinking in Systems”.
Are the driving factors likely to unfold this way?
If they did, how will life likely unfold?
What is driving the driving factors?
Question 1 is a guess. Question 2 is your self-test for how well you know yourself. Question 3 invites you to consider the underlying feedback loop shifts — you do this all the time and perhaps don’t realize it; do you pay for subscriptions?
Let’s say you earn $100 a month. For the last 3 months, you maintain 3 subscriptions each costing you $20 per month, $60 total. You net $40 per month ($100 income - $60 expenses). Over 3 months, your stock of money will grow from $40 to $120 ($40 net x 3 months). Your system is income dominant. If the subscriptions you maintain each raise their subscription costs by $15, you will now pay $105 per month ($20+$15 x 3 subscriptions). Because your expenses are greater than your income, you will eventually drain your stock of money to $0. Your system shifted from income dominant to expense dominant, and that was driven by increased subscription fees.
Yes, I gave you a simple money management example. Consider this — these types of systems shifts exist everywhere in your life. Shifting from being a predominantly negative thinker to a realist thinker. From being disciplined in a diet/exercise regimen to undisciplined. From being open to being closed. And these shifts are driven by varying drivers — health outcomes, gratitude, energy levels, relationship status, etc.
By understanding how your systems operate and how they’re balanced or dominated can help you better determine how reality interacts with you and how you interact with reality.
