Do you want to change your thoughts? Perhaps because you’ve noticed some negative thinking patterns or because you think positive thinking will help achieve what you want. But changing your thoughts is not as easy as just saying positive affirmations, as they may be subconscious, so you don’t notice them in everyday life.
Why change your thoughts?
A common reason why people want to change their thoughts is that they think their current thoughts are holding them back. A common example would be if you have a limiting belief or an upper limit problem e.g. I’ll never succeed. These subconscious thoughts mean you make life decisions that prevent you from reaching your goals.
By making a conscious habit to change your thoughts, you can have a positive impact on your life by undoing your limiting beliefs, making different decisions and taking different actions.
USING JOURNAL PROMPTS TO CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS
Regular journaling can help you embed new thoughts that replace the ones you’ve identified you want to change. Journaling helps you get out of your head and into your body. It also helps you slow down so you notice what you’re thinking. When you write down your thoughts, you may notice patterns or connections between them.
What Are Journal Prompts?
Journal prompts are questions or statements that help writers by giving them inspiration or a focus. They encourage you to think about a situation or issue from a different perspective, which is why they are beneficial for personal development purposes.
Why And When To Use Journal Prompts?
The main reasons to use journal prompts are when you don’t know what to write, you want to challenge yourself with some different topics or when you want more structure or guidance.
JOURNAL PROMPTS TO HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS
Changing our thoughts will lead us to change our actions which will change our lives. The first step is to recognise that you have a thought you want to change. Once you’ve acknowledged that, journaling can help you question your assumptions and help you identify new actions and thought patterns.
After reading the book Soundtracks by Jon Acuff (my review), I created four journal prompts to help me analyse my thoughts and develop actions and thoughts. I aim to use these prompts weekly after I’ve used the prompts to identify if I have a limiting belief.
- What is my goal for this week? If I change my thoughts, what change would I like to see in my life?
- What is true? What is true about the situation? If you set a goal last week, how did you do? What was positive and where do you need to improve?
- What actions will I take? What are you going to do this week to help meet the goal?
- What soundtracks or thoughts will help? Based on the goal you want to achieve and the actions you plan to take, what thoughts will support, encourage and motivate you?
Before I start writing, I often read back on my answer to the question What is My Story in the limiting belief prompts as it sets the big picture goal of who I want to be. I use a double page spread and use half a page for each question. As these flow from each other I rotate the page a quarter turn for each question. And to add interest to the page and make it easier to find later I use some washi tape across the middle.
I keep my goals and actions small as the aim is to motivate me by moving in the direction I want. This gives me the proof that I can change meaning my old thoughts are no longer valid.
WHAT NEXT?
Changing a limiting thought is not quick. Recognising the thought is the first step, then it is about perseverance. Combining new thoughts with new habits means each success helps embed the new thoughts firmer and moves you towards the change you want. Each small step builds towards success.Â
I focus on one thought at a time e.g. I can’t wake up early. I do this layout once a week, so I can see if I’m making progress. Sometimes I keep the goals, actions and soundtracks the same if I think they are working, or I may change them depending on how I’ve done in the previous week.
Once I’ve identified the thoughts I want for that week I add them to an affirmation app. I read these every morning and I get random notifications on my phone during the day. Each time reminding me of the new thoughts I want.Â