Episode 10: Thought Work - Top 10 Tips
Let’s Get To [Thought] Work!
Really understanding how thoughts create results does take some work. Learn about the top tips to get started!
Enjoy!
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(The notes below are only a brief summary of what is discussed in the podcast. Be sure to listen to get all of the goodness! If you would like a full transcription of the episode, please send an email request to: angie@angie-robinson.com. We’d be happy to provide that!)
We are continuing the conversation from Episode 09 where we discussed the Magic of Mindset and you were introduced to the tool I use called The Model. Head over to the episode’s show notes to see the image of the model and to listen to the explanation of The Model!
In this episode - we are digging deeper into the power of thought work.
Here is the essence:
Start to notice what you are thinking.
Then, notice how what you’re thinking creates your feelings, actions and results.
Once you truly understand that – decide to change. Decide what you want your new result to be.
Here are my top 10 tips for doing thought work. I specifically reference The Model - but know that these concepts are easily transferable into whatever type of concept or tool you might use for thought work.
Start with a thought download (brain dump). Getting your thoughts out of the brain and onto paper allows you to see them from a higher, birds-eye view level.
Be specific with your circumstance. Circumstances are out of our control. We should be looking at the facts only. We want to separate the circumstances from the thoughts so they don’t have so much weight to them. Circumstances are neutral.
Choose only one thought for the T line. You will likely have a bunch. But each thought may produce a different feeling, actions and result. What is the one that is really dominant in the situation?
If your thought is a question…answer it or turn it into a statement. We don’t want a question on the T line.
On the Feeling line - you should only have one feeling (again – each feeling is going to fuel different actions). What is the dominant feeling that is produced from the one thought?
Don’t just brush past the feeling. We often just want to ignore, resist or avoid our feelings - but it will still be there.
On the A line - list all of the actions and inactions you take (or don’t take) from the feeling . Think of all of them – and check if they are really coming from the feeling.
When you have your R (result), really look at it. Notice how it shows evidence of the thought. Notice how we are responsible for our results because they come from our actions.
Review your model. Ask yourself – do you see that it’s your thoughts that cause the results – not the circumstance?
Don’t beat yourself up. When we start to realize that we are responsible for our results based on our thoughts - we might get hard on ourselves. That is not useful - ever.
You might be asking – what do I do with this now?
My answer - just appreciate the awareness.
In future episodes - we will talk more about getting more curious about your thoughts and how to create what is called an intentional model.
Here is an example of a model:
C: Sent email on Monday re: new timekeeping procedure, have received zero responses as of Tuesday at 4pm.
Side Note: often times there are thoughts embedded here. For example - it may have been “Nobody reads my emails. I sent one about the new timekeeping procedure and I got zero responses.” Notice how “nobody reads my emails” is just a thought! Someone else could have a different perspective about this.
T: Nobody read the email I sent. (Could stop there, but asking yourself what you that mean about you might reveal other, more prevalent thoughts, like: People don’t respect me or I’m not a good communicator. In this example, we will use the thought “People don’t respect me.”
F: Frustrated
A: give the cold shoulder to employees, stick close to my desk / don’t put on video on Zoom, don’t send an email the next time or don’t send enough it with enough information, think about all of the other times that I don’t feel respected.
R: Don’t show up in a way that people would respect someone for AND don’t respect self.
What do you think?
Have you ever realized how your thoughts are an option?
Do you currently use a tool like The Model to manage your own brain?
Do you see how we are responsible for our own results?
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