Our thoughts are powerful and an area that goes unchecked. Studies suggest the average human has more than 6,000 thoughts every day. Some are conscious, but many are unconscious. But even with our conscious thoughts, do we pay close attention to them? I suspect many of us don’t.
It’s essential to be aware of the thoughts running through our minds because they drive so many of our behaviors. When we’re cruel or discouraging to ourselves, it’s hard to believe in our capabilities. Our self-doubt can lead to overwhelm and procrastination. We’re also more likely to give up on our pursuits and devalue our talents which is why we must learn to become aware of our thoughts.
For many of us, becoming aware of our thoughts will be challenging. We’ve run on auto-pilot for so many years it will take us time and practice. That’s okay. The best thing we can do for ourselves and our business is to start now.
Action steps:
- Make an effort to be aware of your thoughts throughout the day.
- Identify those that are cruel, discouraging, or self-defeating.
- Immediately turn that thought into a kind, encouraging, or self-confident thought.
- Consider where you learned that cruel, discouraging, or self-defeating thought and ask yourself if it is really true.
- Look for evidence in your life that proves it wrong.
- Every time that cruel, discouraging, or self-defeating pops up, remind yourself of the evidence and turn it into a kind, encouraging, or self-confident thought.
For anyone suffering from overwhelm, check out the post on Overcoming overwhelm. For anyone suffering from procrastination, check out the post on Overcoming procrastination.