What Could Go Right Reframe
Redirect threat-focused attention toward a successful next move
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 92%
This reframe changes the direction of attention when the mind starts simulating failure. First, recognize the stream of things that could go wrong and the physical disconnection it creates. Then invert the question: what could go right? Build a brief image of the next successful action and use it to reconnect attention with the body and the task. The mechanism is not denial of risk; it is replacing an unproductive threat rehearsal with a performance-relevant possibility. Gervais discovered the shift during a surfing competition: the waves, body, and technical ability stayed the same, but redirecting his mind restored his feel for the board and his ability to perform.
Origin
At 15, Gervais could surf consequential waves alone but fell apart when judges watched. After another surfer identified his worry, he reversed the question from what could go wrong to what could go right and immediately felt connected again.
Core principles
- 01Attention changes performance even when conditions do not change
- 02Threat forecasting disconnects the mind from the task
- 03A useful future image can restore bodily presence
- 04Mental direction is trainable
How to run it
- 1
Catch the threat forecast
Notice the specific failures your mind is predicting and how they pull you away from the present task.
Pro tip Use a short label such as 'what-could-go-wrong mode.'
Watch out Do not confuse this with ignoring a real physical or commercial risk.
- 2
Reverse the question
Ask what could go right in the immediate situation rather than trying to suppress every negative thought.
Pro tip Keep the answer close enough to act on now.
- 3
Imagine the next success
Create a simple picture of yourself executing the next move well and feeling connected while doing it.
Pro tip Anchor the image in a bodily sensation relevant to the task.
Watch out Grand outcome fantasies are less useful than a clear next action.
- 4
Re-enter the task
Put attention back on the present cue, then act before the threat loop rebuilds.
In the wild
A founder waiting to pitch notices thoughts about forgetting the numbers and looking foolish. She asks what could go right, pictures delivering the opening sentence calmly, feels both feet on the floor, and begins with that single rehearsed action.
→ Her attention returns to the pitch rather than the imagined judgment of the room.
Common mistakes
Forcing thoughts away
Trying not to think about failure keeps attention attached to it. Redirect the mind toward a concrete successful action instead.
Visualizing only the final win
A distant result does not tell the body what to do next. Rehearse the immediate move that restores task engagement.
Is it for you?
Best for
Performers, founders, and speakers whose skill disappears under evaluative pressure.
Not ideal for
Situations where a concrete safety hazard needs mitigation rather than an attentional reframe.
From the transcript
“I just flipped it around and I said well let me start thinking about what could go right”
“the only thing that changed was the direction of my mind”
From the episode
Dr. Michael Gervais: The High-Performance Mindset for Entrepreneurs
Dr. Michael Gervais