This episode digs into what Thought Work is and how to set yourself up to implement ongoing Thought Work for weight loss or any goals you have.
It begins with the differences in Thoughts (and Beliefs—and how Beliefs are more difficult to control than simple, fleeting Thoughts), Feelings, and Actions. And then delves into the interrelationship among the three and how we can manage our Thoughts if we do it on purpose and with a dependable framework, such as Think-Feel-Act or Brooke Castillo’s Self-Coaching Model or both.
I dig into some General How To’s for personal Thought Work, including a framework, calendaring it, keeping it simple, being in self-integrity by making small, tiny, atomic habits (Fogg, Clear). I describe how perfection will hold us back from managing our minds and changing our lives.
I introduce my downloadable Think-Feel-Act worksheet for listeners to print off in multiples and use for consistent Thought Work. The top of this sheet has a Thought Drops section to “download” or “drop” all of your Thoughts. The bottom half has the Thought-Feel-Actions section. I detail how to use this sheet.
Then I use some of my February Thought Work to show you how to do the Thought Drops and how to choose which single Thought to work on for that day. I plug my sample Thought into the “Unintentional” side (or the unmanaged side) and show how that Thought leads to a Feeling of defeat and actions that do not serve me in my weight loss.
Then I show my new Thought (a believable one) and how to follow that through the Think-Feel-Eat cycle.
I. REVIEW Thought-Feeling-Actions
Get your handout for today’s material (and print it off and fill it in—you can change your thoughts!)
A. Beliefs
1. But a belief is just a Thought that we have thought over and over and over again
a. Cinderella—“A dream is a wish your heart makes…when you’re fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches…whatever you wish for you keep.”
b. “A Belief is a Thought your mind thinks…over and over again. Change Thoughts, you will change your Beliefs too…with new Thoughts you’re sure to win!”
2. When we think something over and over, it goes from a thought to a pattern from a pattern to a belief
3. Beliefs are hard to shake—new path through the woods—one that takes us not back to where we are now, but to where we really want to go.
B. Thoughts Lead to Feelings
1. What we think about anything leads us to a feeling about it
2. Understand that Thoughts are just Thoughts—they are optional and we choose to Think them—and we can gain control over them if we do the work necessary
3. Feelings are basically why we do everything—so controlling the Thoughts that lead to Feelings is super important
C. All of our actions come from Feelings (Which came from Thoughts)
1. If we want to change a behavior, we have to change how we feel and how we think
2. We can’t just will ourselves to a new action
Get all freebies and downloads at the website for the Think-Feel-Eat episodes!
II. Daily Thought Work
A. General How To’s
1. Framework—
a. Journal
b. Pages from donnareish.com
c. Think-Feel-Act sheets
d. OR Brooke Castillo’s Self-Coaching Model sheets (also at dr)
2. Calendar it—and make it doable
a. Put it in your calendar at a time you will do it
b. Don’t overextend yourself
c. Plan for 15-30 minutes a few times a week
3. Don’t aim for perfection
a. Doesn’t have to be perfect
b. It is for you
c. You get better and better at it as you go
B. Start With Thought Drops
1. Also called Thought downloads
2. Can be all about a certain topic
3. Can be random
4. Don’t use a question for your thought drops; make it into a statement so your brain doesn’t have to be working on an answer at the same time as you are creating your Thought Drops.
C. Once you have a good list of Thoughts, plug one in
1. One thought at a time
2. Don’t confuse Circumstances with Thoughts
D. Think-Feel-Act Worksheet or CTFAR (from Brooke Castillo)
1. Notice how I chose ONE thought only to do my Thought Work on
2. Plug in that Thought in your Unintentional column—this is what you are now thinking when you don’t manage your mind or you don’t get control of your thoughts
3. Ask yourself how that Thought makes you feel
4. Then create a list of Activities/Actions you are now taking as a result of that Thought and Feeling
5. Then move to the Intentional—if you manage your mind, how can you change that Thought to something that is believable that will help you get a Feeling that gives the Actions you want?
6. What Feeling does that new Thought give you?
7. What Actions will you likely take as a result of that new Thought and Feeling
8. Yay you!
Check out Episode #1 of Think-Feel-Eat for a thorough broadcast detailing this process
