In this post, we’ll unpack all you need to know about anticipation, defining exactly what it is, its adaptive role in evolution, its influence on the brain, how it impacts us, how to leverage it and more.
What Is Anticipation?
Anticipation is a psychological and physiological process that we engage in to mentally prepare for a potential future experience.
Anticipation is bringing a projected future experience into the present.
The Evolutionary Lens
From an evolutionary perspective, anticipation evolved as an adaptation to prepare us for future experiences.
We evolved to have the capacity to form expectations about the future so we could make better predictions about it. This allowed us to move towards perceived rewards and away from perceived threats, ultimately enhancing our ability to survive and reproduce.
Imagination Versus Reality
Your brain doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality. In other words, it can’t differentiate between an imagined experience and a real experience.
Therefore, the same hormones that are released in the brain when we are having an experience in the present are the same hormones that are released in the brain when we are anticipating an experience in the future.
Anticipation & The Brain
Anticipation operates in the brain via two factors: cues and mental models. We notice a cue which then triggers a mental model around what actions to take.
For example, for our ancient ancestors, the cue of a saber-toothed-tiger trigged the mental model of fight-of-flight.
How Anticipation Impacts Us
Anticipation influences us both psychologically and physiologically.
The brain is ultimately designed to keep us alive and so it does 2 things; it predicts and it prepares. It predicts what’s going to happen in our environment based on past experiences by influencing us psychologically via thoughts and then it prepares us to take the necessary actions that will enhance our survival by influencing us physiologically via emotions.
For example, emotions associated with pleasure drive us towards rewards while emotions associated with pain drive us away from threats.
A Double-Edged Sword
Just like anything, anticipation is a double-edged sword ― it can both help and harm us.
Anticipating positive future outcomes creates a positive biochemical state in our bodies. Anticipating negative future outcomes creates a negative biochemical state in our bodies.
The anticipation of a pleasurable experience is almost always better than the pleasurable experience itself. The anticipation of a painful experience is almost always worse than the painful experience itself.
Anticipation Is Power
Anticipation is power and anticipation is pattern recognition. It’s about being able to use past experiences to make future predictions.
The better you can recognise patterns, the better you can predict outcomes, the better you can anticipate outcomes, the more effective actions you’ll take and the better your results will be.
How Individuals Can Leverage Anticipation
There are three key ways to leverage anticipation.
Firstly, always have future positive experiences to look forward to and then create cues that remind us of those future positive experiences. This will provide a sustainable supply of feelings of pleasure.
Secondly, always anticipate the outcomes that you want. In doing so, you will create a positive biochemical state in your body that will allow you to execute your desired outcomes.
Thirdly, always anticipate potential future outcomes. The better you can anticipate the future, the better predictions you can make, the better decisions you can make and the better your results will be.
By successfully leveraging anticipation, you become the Master of your Destiny instead of a Slave to your Fate.
How Businesses Can Leverage Anticipation
There are two key ways businesses can leverage anticipation.
Firstly, always ensure your customers have experiences to look forward to in the future and then create cues that remind your customers of those future experiences.
You want your products, services and business to be cues and you want your customers to have mental models that associate those cues with the qualities you desire them to represent.
When conducted successfully, your customers will automatically anticipate positive experiences, such as high quality products and excellent service. This is how you create Raving Fan Customers.
Secondly, always anticipate the future. The better you can anticipate the future, the more effectively you’ll be able to navigate the business landscape.
Summary (TL;DR)
Anticipation refers to the process of mentally preparing for a potential future experience. It evolved as an adaptation to prepare us for future experiences.
Individuals can leverage anticipation by always having future positive experiences to look forward to, always anticipating the outcomes that they want and always anticipating potential future outcomes.
Businesses can leverage anticipation by always ensurinf their customers have experiences to look forward to and always anticipating their business landscape.
