Change Our Thoughts So We Can Change Our Lives

Plus An Exciting Announcement!

If our inner world reflects our outer world, how do we make sure that the thoughts we think are the right ones?

If we realise that our life is not how we want it to be, how do we change our thoughts so that we can change our life and make it how we want?

We can’t always just magically change how we think. It requires effort, constantly. Not just daily but multiple times a day.

The first step is being aware of what we are thinking. Once we realise we need to change things we need a few tools to help us to do that.

Daily Affirmations

• Write and repeat positive affirmations each morning to set a positive tone for the day. Affirmations like "I am capable," "I am worthy of success," and "I attract positivity" can help rewire your subconscious mind.

Affirmations work because repetition is key to changing our thoughts and reprogramming our subconscious.

It’s not enough to think a thought or say it, we have to get emotionally involved with it. That’s when it reaches our subconscious. This does work both ways though. So we can become emotionally involved with good or bad thoughts. Thoughts that are positive or negative.

Visualisation

• Spend a few minutes each day visualising your goals and desired outcomes. Imagine the details vividly—how it feels, looks, and even smells. This practice helps align your thoughts with your goals.

This is how we start to become emotionally involved with our thoughts. Using visualisation brings feeling into what we are trying to change or manifest.

Gratitude Journaling

• Keep a gratitude journal and write down three things you're grateful for each day. Focusing on gratitude shifts your mindset from what's lacking to what's abundant in your life.

This was such a huge part of me dealing with some rather large challenges in my life. So much so that I wrote a book about it and made an online course to teach ways to make it a daily practice.

It’s a fact that we can’t hold both a negative and a positive thought in our mind at the same time.

Practising gratitude means that our mind is filled, even if only momentarily, with good thoughts.

Keeping a journal forces us to focus on what we are grateful for.

Mindfulness Meditation

• Practice mindfulness meditation to become aware of your thoughts without judgment. This awareness helps you recognize negative thought patterns and replace them with positive ones.

Here is a meditation you can try to help with mindfulness.

Positive Environment

• Surround yourself with positive influences, whether it's uplifting music, inspiring books, or encouraging people. Your environment greatly impacts your thoughts.

Sometimes we can underestimate how much we need to control our environment. Once we are aware of it though it isn’t very hard to do.

It just takes forethought instead of just mindlessly carrying on with what we’ve always done.

It means stopping, slowing down and being aware of how the music we listen to makes us feel, or the books we read, or the films we watch, or the people we hang out with.

Set Clear Goals

• Define clear, achievable goals and break them into smaller steps. Having a roadmap helps focus your thoughts and actions toward achieving these goals.

Without goals, we are just wandering aimlessly. This means we don’t really get anywhere or accomplish much.

Once we have goals our thoughts are focused on achieving these goals, and when our thoughts are focused our life is too.

Learn about the 3 different types of goals here:

Reframe Negative Thoughts

• When you catch yourself thinking negatively, pause and reframe the thought. For example, change "I can't do this" to "I will learn how to do this."

I learned a very simple technique years ago from a teacher on how to change my negative thoughts.

He said every time a negative thought comes into my head I should immediately say, cancel, clear, delete, and replace it with a positive thought.

At first, it seemed very tedious to do that.

It also made me uncomfortably aware of how many negative thoughts I had.

But it worked.

Not only did I replace those thoughts I didn’t want, but I also started to think differently. I needed to use it less and less as the days went by.

Now it just pops into my head automatically when I notice a thought that I don’t want to have.

Affirmative Language

• Use positive language in your self-talk and conversations. Words are powerful, and speaking positively about yourself and your circumstances reinforces a positive mindset.

This is such an important part of changing our thoughts and changing our lives. Here is a post I wrote a few days ago about it:

From Criticism to Confidence - G's Tips for Rebuilding

Consistent Action

• Take consistent actions toward your goals. Small, regular steps build momentum and reinforce positive thinking.

Sometimes we need to take massive action, but the majority of the time we just need to take small steps, but often and consistently.

If we do something small every day to work towards our goal in a year we will be so much further than if we were to work on it non stop for a week and then nothing for a few months and then repeat. It usually has to be daily.

Just 10 minutes a day over the course of a year adds up to almost 61 hours which is something anyone can do. Imagine how much further you would be if you could up that to 15 or 30 minutes?!

Limit Negative Input

• Reduce exposure to negative media and people who drain your energy. Protecting your mental space helps maintain a positive outlook.

Again this is about being aware of how situations and people make you feel. Once we realise how much this affects us we have the strength to make the changes.

It can be as simple as not being glued to news reports or as tough as limiting time with people who are not upbuilding.

Learn and Grow

• Continuously learn and grow by reading personal development books, attending workshops, or listening to motivational podcasts. Expanding your knowledge keeps you motivated and focused.

The goal here is to never stop learning and to be lifelong students.

Self-development, growth, and healing is a journey, not a destination.

It’s something we will always need to keep up with because our lives are ever-changing.

Celebrate Successes

• Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Acknowledging your progress boosts your confidence and reinforces positive thinking.

This is so important to do because it is a way we can measure our progress. Even if the wins are relatively small, it reminds us of our achievements and gives us confidence that we can go on to accomplish bigger and better.

Incorporating these practices into your life can help transform your inner world, leading to a more successful and happy outer world.

Consistency is key, so incorporate these habits into your daily routine and watch your mindset and life change for the better.

I have written about all these practices (and more!) in my new book The Synergy Game.

I have an exciting announcement! Starting next week this book will be serialised here, a chapter a week. Here is a little excerpt from the introduction:

“What do you do when you feel like you don't want to live, when you have lost everything that you lived for, when you can't seem to find even the smallest sliver of joy? When the days are endless and grey, and you can barely summon up the energy or the inclination to get out of bed. When you feel so lost you don't think you will ever be able to find yourself ever again.

You stop.

You remember.

You dig deeper than you ever thought you could.

You find a reason. There is always one, if you look hard enough.

There was a distant thought in the back of my mind, so distant that I could barely hear it. But it said What If? What If I gave up and I missed out on being happy again? What If I could have a future? Even though I didn't see how or if that could happen, there was the nagging feeling in those faraway corners of my mind, that had that little thought.

What If? What If I could survive this?”

Don’t miss the first chapter of my book next week. This is the first place it is being published! Subscribe NOW!

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