How to Find Beauty in Flawed Hope.
Questions to ask about hard change.
When I know of a big upcoming plan, there’s a part of me which wants to go eat chocolate, and not face it.
I feel this before I make a plan.
I’m exploring Hope Theory to see what this perspective gives me.
I can summarise the Elements of Hope Theory as:
- agency — assumptions about who you are and what you can learn.
- pathways — well articulated pathways reflected by hopeful and confident, with low hope there is less clarity and it’s harder to commit.
- goals — the action steps, goals, and process of reflection.
- obstacles — the challenges that encourage and discourage.
Playing with Snyder’s Hope Theory as a metaphor.
These are the questions I asked myself.
Taking a landscape as a metaphor for hope, what assumptions do you have about your ability to navigate it?
Does it look like a mountain range beyond your ability, or are you equipped with knowledge, good shoes, GPS and a cool track in your earbuds?
What does the path look like?
Are you following clear physical markers like church steeples? Is it a straight tarmac road through a village? What skills do you need to traverse this route?
What are your route marking goals?
Goals cover the steps along the way. The small steps to begin the journey, the water fountain to refresh, the village to rest, the hill to climb. For your route, can you identify breaks and stops so you know you are making progress? Is there space to look back and use the information?
What do the obstacles look like?
Obstacles that are part of the journey and some strengthen you by facing them. Can you walk round? Which obstacles are you likely to meet? Are they part of the problem or solution.
Ready to level up?
Taking this metaphor a stage further, I could think think of this image in terms of energy and patterns. Traditionally sunset is associated with rest and end. It is also a time of beautiful colours highlighting the cloud patterns. Maybe the full colours of thoughts are best seen from a low angle when tired? The individual paths and shapes are less distinct, but the overall geometry of the land is clearer. To see from a distance is often thought of as a drone shot looking down, but this flattens the landscape. What if the beauty of hope is not in a clear focus drone shot, but a low approach end of day insight?
The value of imperfection.
Though film captures a moment, the film itself can become damaged by physical wear and tear, biological growth or shrinkage. Part of Hope Theory is the value of reflection to learn. Hindsight bias is when we look back but don’t evaluate objectively. We underestimate our level of surprise (I knew that) and take mental shortcuts. This enables quick decision making but can reduce the ability to learn from our experiences. One approach is to become more conscious of the initial data gathered, and the effect of time on our understanding. The picture has mould spores and scratches. Imperfect has its own story.
Strangely, even writing that gives me hope.
I can think of lots of imperfections from past stories, and lots that are going to develop in the future ones. I like damaged film filters because they create stories outside of the image.
Maybe my plans for hope will be a little cooler for their flaws?
Ear buds in.
Little Black Book Decision Making discussion of hindsight bias.
Film Damage National Film & Sound Archive of Australia
Mextures app
Maria Sokolowska is a coach, photographer, and writer. She playfully explores imagery to challenge perceptions and perspectives. She uses metaphors to help understand some of the ordinary and complex ideas we have about ourselves so that we can feel understood.
Maria is a qualified ACC coach with the International Coaching Federation. The ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Maria works with creative professionals, coaches, post-graduates, and volunteers with the non-profit sector. A Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, and a coach with university volunteer groups, the Uprising UK Charity which inspires young people from underrepresented backgrounds to move into leadership roles, and The Humanitarian Coaching Network, which supports Humanitarian staff globally.
You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or by following her newsletter on Substack.
