Have you ever thought that you could plan how you want to think about something?
A key assumption that many people make, is that a thought or a concept has its own signature or set of facts which define it. Basically the idea is that we all think about something the same way. For example: a chair. What comes to mind when you think of a chair? Some people imagine a wooden chair with back support. Some people may think of a luxurious recliner. Others still think of a desk chair in a classroom. Simple but clear example of how something can be different to different people… But what if we’re talking about things that are more complicated?
Say for example you want to try a new diet. Some people instantly think of the pain of starving themselves because they believe all diets are for losing weight. Some people think of meager portions, while others may think of all meat diets. The point being, if we think of things differently from each other, can we change the beliefs we already have?
Strategy
The key to developing and sustaining a strategy for your thoughts is to latch onto a concept or idea that drives the process. In fact, this concept or idea is even more powerful if you have an emotion attached to it. Lets continue with the idea of a diet. It might be easy to think of latching a positive emotion for encouragement, but you can also use negative ones. Say you want to enact a “low carb” diet. Associating negative emotions with sugary foods is a great way to strategize the way you think about dieting and specifically eating carbohydrates. If you are overweight and want to shred some pound by eliminating carbs, you need to associate those foods with all of the pain and negativity that being overweight is causing you. This is a conscious mental exercise you can perform right now. Think about it. Is your weight causing you to feel bad about your appearance? How about the way you fit into clothes? Is your weight causing you to have health problems?
All of that negativity can be used as a tool to help rethink the way you view carbs. So yes, I know its uncomfortable to confront all of those issues…but you are basically putting them in a box…and its labeled ‘carbs’! Good, because now you have a powerful motivator to keep you away from the carbohydrates which may be leading to all of these problems you have.
I know that in writing it seems easy, and of course its usually not. It depends on how much of a change you’re looking to make. Your subconscious brain may LOVE carbs so much, that even if you use the painful negative emotions, you will still fail. That’s ok, because every victory is a step in the right direction. You have to pat yourself on the back for every victory, but also be forgiving when you make a mistake. Beating yourself up usually only leads to identification with failure which is not useful.
Stay Positive? (+)
A point that I often iterate, which I believe is extremely important, is the role of the subconscious….or could be known as the “anonymous mind”. The idea is that we basically have a separate self inside of our mind which runs the show.
If you read the process up top and thought, sounds good, but I don’t think I could do it…I can explain how you will be able to succeed. The subconscious mind doesn’t follow orders based on realistic or unrealistic circumstances. It only follows orders based on belief. The subconscious also will change “its thoughts” (yours), based on the repetition of ideas. If you continuously tell yourself that carbs make you feel sick, look fat, bring health problems…eventually your anonymous mind will agree with it. If your subconscious mind agrees with it, you will not want to eat them. Your subconscious is way closer to your appetite and preferences for food than your conscious mind ever could.
This one example I’ve used can be applied to anything and everything you desire in life. So strategizing your thinking to your own personal goals is very much possible and within your power. I you encourage to start today, to take advantage of such an amazing ability.