You’ve probably heard this concept (maybe in a yoga class), and there’s so much truth in it. If you get impatient standing in line at the grocery store, for example, you probably get impatient in traffic too. If you doubt your abilities in business, you likely doubt yourself in other areas too. This is for good reason: we are creatures of habit. The most primitive part of our brains wants to expend the least amount of energy to keep us alive. This is good for, well, keeping us alive. And not much else.
This survival instinct-based tendency creates thought habits. I once heard this incredible statistic: far more than 90% of the thoughts you have today are the same exact thoughts you had yesterday. Doesn’t this ring true? Stop and actually notice your thoughts. Even just over the course of a day or two. You’ll start to see patterns.
From the perspective of modern neuroscience, this makes perfect sense. When we think a thought, we fire up a neural pathway in our brains. The more established the pathway, the more often we’ll travel down that same mental road, simply for the sake of efficiency. Thus, it is true (and provable) that the more you think a thought, the more you will think that same thought.
Thought work teaches us that our thoughts create our feelings. Our feelings, in turn, drive our actions, which of course generate our results. It all starts and ends with our thoughts. Such a simple concept, but it is exceedingly challenging to apply irl. I do this work personally with my own coaches and also with my clients. When you’re looking to create new results in business, relationships, really any aspect of your life, you need to start at the level of your thinking.
I’ve studied and practiced meditation and yoga philosophy for years. I’ve read far more than my share of books on personal growth and development and covered the podcast world as well. And nothing – literally nothing – has proven as effective as thought work-based coaching. That is why I am beyond passionate about engaging in and sharing this work.
To change how you do anything (and therefore everything), you’ve got to start with your thoughts. See them, understand them, grow to challenge them and eventually change them. It’s not “woo woo” or positive affirmations. It’s so much deeper than that. And it’s the most powerful thing in the world.
