Can I really change the way I think? Vicki Garcia

Can I Really Change The Way I Think?

by Vicki Garcia on November 16, 2012

I recently asked my clients to help me come up with some blog post ideas. I asked them to post questions that they would like answered in a blog post. One client asked me if it’s really possible to change how we think.
Let me ask you a question. Do you think as an adult, the same way you did when you were a child? I’m guessing not. Well, I hope not. Do you think today, exactly as you did even a year ago? Chances are, because of people you come into contact with and things you learn, you have changed some of your opinions and thoughts.
Part of the way we grow and mature into adults is by taking in information and processing it. We decide if it fits in with our idea of the world, our values and our desires. You get to choose. This means, YES, you can change the way you think.
However, changing a pattern of thinking (beliefs) is not as simple as flipping on a light switch. When we think a given thought over and over again, it becomes a belief. At this point, we aren’t even conscious of it.
To choose new thoughts, we must be conscious of how we are thinking. We must be present. We must not be caught up in the day to day minutia of our lives. This is why it can be challenging to change thoughts.
A few tips for changing the way you think:

1. Pay attention to how you think now. This means, be present, be conscious and take note of the thoughts that run through your head during the day. You may be surprised at what you find.
2. Once you are aware of the typical thoughts you have, ask yourself which are working for you and which are not. How would you know if a thought isn’t working for you? If you think something and it makes you feel bad or stresses you out, it isn’t working for you.
3. Choose one thought that isn’t working for you and decide to change it.
4. When you find yourself thinking this thought, stop and ask yourself what you would rather think. Choose a thought to replace it that is realistic and makes you feel slightly better.
5. Practice! This is just like any other thing you want to learn. You must practice this daily until the new thought permanently replaces the old thought.
6. Take small steps. Choose only one new thought to practice until you get the hang of it and then add more.

I guarantee it works if you practice. I am proof of that. If you want specific examples of how I have changed my thinking and what the results have been, let me know. I am happy to share my experiences with you.
As Mike Dooley would say, “Thoughts become things…choose good ones”.