Where do our thoughts go and how much power do they have over what we do (or don’t do)?
My belief is that our own thoughts are the most powerful force that we each have complete control over and anything other than productive thinking is… well, unproductive.
This elusive “control” though, is easier said than actually achieved, isn’t it?
Negative thoughts have a way of getting in our head and settling in and most don’t do anything to get them out, which is like finding out there are squatters living comfortably in your attic and turning a blind eye. Would you do that?
The consequence of our thoughts is that they are the beginning of an important chain reaction. Our thoughts create and intensify the feelings inside of us and those feelings motivate us to take positive or negative actions, which culminate in some result.
Are you happy with your current results?
Take a look at what is happening now. Are you getting where you want to go at the speed you want to get there?
If you reverse engineer that chain reaction of thoughts > feelings > actions > results, what kind of actions are you taking or not taking that are moving you closer or farther your objectives?
Take a moment to think about it. Are there things you’re not doing that you could be doing? And are there things you’re doing that you’d be better off stopping?
Then think about what emotions you must be feeling for you to take the kind of actions that move you closer to your goals…
Understanding what feelings motivate you to act is a great step you can take right now to boost your motivation and readiness to act when the right opportunity arrives.
Also, knowing what feelings are useful to you you can then spend some time crafting the right thoughts.
Remember that “control” over your thoughts I was talking about?
Controlling your thoughts depends on your ability and desire to pay attention.
It’s likely that if you catch yourself doing something that goes against your best interest you’ll be able to stop yourself from doing it, and that is what negative and intrusive thoughts are.
One way to kick them out is to move back in. That means making a commitment to having productive thoughts instead.
Productive Thoughts
Having “positive thoughts” is not enough and hoping to have the success you want doesn’t make it happen without action.
However, having thoughts about the small steps you’re willing to take to get you where you want to go and connecting with those feelings that can help you take action is productive thinking – and it gets results.
Productive thinking means that you are focused on the things that make you better and move you forward and you understand that small changes today mean big results tomorrow.
Think of anything that builds you up in any way as productive thinking and anything that brings you down or takes you farther from your objectives as destructive thinking.
How To Destroy Destructive Thoughts
STEP 1: Notice your thoughts regarding a certain issue, goal, belief.
Pay particular attention to any thoughts that challenge your identity, ie. I’m such an idiot, I’ll never be able to do that
STEP 2: Call yourself out with curiosity.
When you notice the intrusive thought(s), say to yourself: “Hmm… I just had a thought that < insert your thought here >”
STEP 3: Challenge the thought and make your case.
This goes something like… “well, no, I’m not stupid at all. I’m intelligent and I’m great at X,Y,Z. Plus I’m new at <activity> so I’m doing well considering all that. I’m actually very smart.
STEP 4: Break the pattern.
When you notice those negative thoughts and you run them through this process a few times, your unconscious takes note and soon it begins to deliver to you a new pattern. This step simply means you rinse and repeat until you’re conditioned.
How To Make “Good Thinking” Your New Normal
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in the process of helping others and improving myself is that positive reinforcement gets better results than other methods.
This means that catching yourself succeeding when you do something right is better than yelling at yourself when you make mistakes. I’m not saying you shouldn’t notice where you can make improvements, only that even those moments can be used productively.
So, catch yourself succeeding.
That’s a phrase I learned from my mentor Scott Sandland over a decade ago and it has served me and my clients well. If you allow it to be useful to you, it will be. Catch yourself succeeding.
Let’s look at it this way… if you start going to the gym because you want a better physique and after a couple of weeks you’re seeing some results in the mirror and getting some positive comments from friends. Is that likely to make you want to keep working out or quit?
Correct. That positive reinforcement tells you that you’re doing something right and makes you want to keep going, because it feels nice.
While it’s possible that nobody will be complimenting you for your new found ability to control your thinking, when you catch yourself succeeding you give yourself that positive reinforcement and the evidence of success will give you more of it.
Lastly…
When you start using this simple process to de-fuse yourself from your thoughts, I’d love to know how it’s working for you. Please leave a comment!
Do you know a friend (or two) who beat themselves up hard with negative thinking? Please share this article!
Does your group, team, or organization need to hear a message of motivation, mental strength, peak performance, mindset, sales, hypnosis, better dentistry, dental hygiene, dental office management, delivered in an edutaining way?
Let’s connect!
Juan Acosta
http://TopLevelMindset.com
http://TopLevelMindset.com/dental