Show Notes

The Thought Model

It takes practice to use the thought model – a self-coaching concept that is helpful in creating lasting life changes. The thought model uses circumstances, thoughts, feelings, and actions to categorize every aspect of life, in order to identify and change unintentional patterns. It’s a simple process, but not always easy.

A helpful way to picture it is as a mathematical equation made up of 5 interrelated “buckets” or “categories”.

There are a few common pitfalls that may pop up as you work through Thought Models, but once you know what to avoid, you can navigate them like a champ.

Thought Model Pitfalls

1. There’s no evidence of your original Thought in your Result.

If you can’t see the correlation between the Result you have and your original Thought, you need to go back to the model and check each line. Keep asking “why?” until you come to an epiphany – when you get there, you’ll know.

2. Your Feeling doesn’t match up with your Thought.

Sit with the Thought for a while. Pay attention and feel what kind of emotion comes up for you in your body. It can also help to say it to someone else – someone who can be a sounding board for you.

3. There is someone other than your self in the Action or Results line.

This model is only about you. You can’t control or change anyone else’s thoughts, feelings, actions, or results – you can only change your own.

4. You are not practicing your Intentional Thoughts.

Put your Intentional Thought on your phone or your computer or on a post-it stuck to your mirror. Say it to yourself throughout the day. Remember that you’re working to deconstruct a strong neural pathway and build a new one – it’s going to take work and repetition.

5. You’ve rushed too quickly from your Unintentional Thought Model to your Intentional Thought Model.

This isn’t a magical tool that you can plug in to create insta-change. It’s important to spend a lot of time in the process so you can clearly identify how that Thought got you to that Result. Really take time to reflect on how your Thought created your Result. Sometimes this can be such a revelation that an Intentional Thought model isn’t even necessary.

6. You’re using an Intentional Thought that you don’t really believe.

You can’t just plug in a “magical” thought – this won’t create change in you because your brain has to feel that your Intentional Thought is true. You have to be really honest with yourself and come up with something that really resonates with you. It is helpful to create Bridge Thoughts – incremental Intentional Thoughts that move you from where you are to where you want to be. It can take multiple Bridge Thoughts to get you to your desired Result.