According to British writer James Allen, pioneer of the self-help movement: as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. I think this statement is not far from reality. Look around and ask yourself: What you have, what you do, what you are until today, is the product of your thoughts? The answer to this question is probably different for each of us.
However, in my experience, having a positive mindset or as we usually say, good thinking, has a great influence on everything we do and achieve. How are you using your thinking?
Over the years of my personal and professional development, among other things, I have learned that positive thinking is a decision. Furthermore, I learned that you cannot change the past, you can only learn from it. Even more, the only guarantee that tomorrow will be better is if you continue to grow today. But, having this understanding is not enough, it is critical to act.
Likewise, we must be selective in what we allow to feed our minds. Nurturing our thinking is vital to produce the best ideas. If your environment has negative people or you are constantly listening to negative information, unfortunately, you will not be able to produce positive thoughts.
Therefore, I think that the most practical and safest thing is to develop the habit of thinking. It sounds obvious, but it really is not. Many people take thinking for granted, see it as a natural function of life. But in reality, people are thinking during the day without a guide. To increase the ability to think well we need to be intentional; as well as think with a clear focus and towards a specific goal.
What can help you create the habit and intention to be a great thinker? Consider to:
- Find a place that allows you to think and have moments of reflection or prayer. Some people have a favorite room or corner in the place where they live, others prefer to be close to nature. Whatever this place is, it will be so much better if you can cut down on the interruptions.
- Set aside time to think daily. Either in the morning or before going to sleep. Try to find that moment in the day when you think best. Then schedule it daily to achieve it.
- Use your thinking to focus on your priorities. Be clear about what your priorities are in the important areas of your life. Meditate on what you must do to achieve them and how you are going to do it.
- Capture your thoughts before you lose them. Have writing tools with you, whether it is your phone, paper, and pencil, or your journal.Writing your ideas as they come to mind can sometimes be difficult, either because you do not have the tools to write them down or perhaps you are driving. A practical idea is to use your cell phone to record audio and then listen to it to write it in your agenda or even to text it to yourself.
- Get together with great thinkers. Find a mentor who teaches you techniques to develop your mindset or a coach with whom you can have intentional brainstorms. If you spend time with great thinkers you will improve your thinking, for sure.
One of my mentors helped me understand that if we do not pay attention to what we think, we are producing a series of mediocre ideas or some little use.
However, if we make the decision to think correctly, we become good thinkers, and if we cultivate this habit over time, we will become great thinkers.
Furthermore, if your thoughts are focused on your priorities, with the use of your creativity, you will generate great ideas.
Question: How can you improve your thinking?