How to STOP Energy Sapping Stinkin' Thinkin' Self-Sabotaging Thoughts

We all grow up learning not to interrupt others who are talking. It's rude, right? Wrong. Sometimes interrupting is right, necessary and essential for positive growth. Learn when and how to interrupt--at the right times, for the right reasons.

Far too often, we fall into mind traps, a series of routine thought patterns that keep us stuck in the same paralyzing stinkin' thinkin' rut. If you learn to listen and hear yourself talk, you'll soon recognize your habitual thought patterns at work in all areas of your life. Soon your full of Worry and Doubt, Anxiety and Stress, and Procrastinate due to Fear or Discomfort. Our mind is a repeater because it makes thinking easier and more efficient, but it isn't always effective.

Our thinking pattern can often be described like being a hamster running on a wheel, your moving, but going nowhere exhaustively fast.

Thoughts and beliefs create feelings, and feelings affect our body, behavior and actions. If your habitual thought pattern is one of self doubt, negativity, fear, etc., then the feeling generated by those thoughts will be disempowering and energy draining in your life. The actions you in turn take may be sabotaging your ability to achieve goals. When you learn how to develop thoughts that are energizing and more useful, you create habitual thoughts, feelings & behaviors that bring you joy, confidence, and more--in other words, you are getting what you want in life; good health, happiness and success.

When you aren't getting the results you want in life, you often find yourself behaving in self-sabotaging ways that hinder goal achievement (procrastination, avoidance, etc.). If this describes you then interrupting can be an answer that helps you with positive change! To change, you need to learn to interrupt and replace your thoughts.

I teach the F.I.T. technique to many clients and in my workshops (Focused Interruption Training), which uses both Coaching and Neuro Linguist Programming for changing negative thought patterns that keep you up at night and obstruct you from being your best self daily; healthy, happy, and living your ideal life NOW!

Learning this technique begins with observation. Learn to be aware of your thoughts. You can recognize them by how you feel. When you feel the uncomfortable, heavy or anxious feelings you want to be free from, say in your mind "Stop It! Start Over." When you're thinking in a habitual way that is useless, energetically draining and causing you stress and unrest literally interrupt yourself. Say to yourself "STOP It!" and then Start Over by replacing that negative thought with a useful positive, opposite thought.

For example, if you're once again avoiding a project or procrastinating, (behavior), check in with your feeling(s) (feeling incompetent, intimidated, fearful, or anxious) and trace those feelings back to where they came from. Maybe you're thinking, "I never complete these tasks well or on time; my work is never good enough." Then interrupt those thoughts and immediately tell yourself STOP It! I suggest even putting your hand out like you would signal to someone "STOP" and shout it out too if you keep on thinking those stinkin' thinkin' thoughts over and over and over again. Really focus your attention on this.

Far too often we generalize and magnify our feelings, as if we ALWAYS make mistakes, or Never do it right. We easily blow things out of proportion when things are not easy or going our way. Life happens! Put your thoughts at rest and take charge. Stop negative thinking in its tracks before destructive thought patterns take over your life.

Start Over. Replace negative thoughts with a positive opposite. Think about the outcome you want. "I CAN, I HAVE and DO complete projects on time. This project will be finished in plenty of time. I am focused!" Couple this strategy with a quick check-in on your posture--physiology is very connected to your emotions. Stand straight, look up, and smile. Visualize yourself completing the project the way you want to and the result: happy boss, happy you, promotion, respect from co-workers, etc.

Over time, you will get better at anything with practice. You will catch yourself thinking the useless thoughts more quickly, and soon be able to interrupt them immediately. In no time at all you'll find the need to interrupt negative thoughts happening less and less, as your brain/mind learns to route your thought pathways to new neural patterns--the positive thoughts you are training yourself to have.

Get F.I.T today.


"Reprinted with permission from Lori Bestler-America's Positive Thinking Expert and Strategic Mind Coach, with MindScapes Unlimited. www.mindscapesunlimited.com.