6 Ways to Reframe Your Thinking

Sometimes all it takes to spark fresh thinking is a little nudge from a friend or colleague asking, “What if you...?” So imagine what a half-dozen self-help gurus might inspire you to do! These tips from best-selling authors might be just the reset you need to kickstart positive change.

Catch your self-talk early. “Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become actions. Watch your actions. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character.” –Judson Brewer, Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind

Be really open to feedback. “We have to be able to take feedback—regardless of how it’s delivered—and apply it productively. We have to do this for a simple reason: Mastery requires feedback. I don’t care what we’re trying to master—and whether we’re trying to develop greatness or proficiency—it always requires feedback.” –Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts

Revisit “best” practices. “In performance cultures, people often become attached to best practices. The risk is that once we’ve declared a routine the best, it becomes frozen in time. ... We might be better off looking for better practices.” –Adam Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

Change behavior incrementally. “We rarely think about change this way because everyone is consumed by the end goal. But one push-up is better than not exercising. One minute of guitar practice is better than none at all. One minute of reading is better than never picking up a book. It’s better to do less than you hoped than to do nothing at all.” –James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Beat burnout. “‘Rest’ doesn’t just mean sleep—though, of course, sleep is essential. Rest also includes switching from one type of activity to another. Mental energy, like stress, has a cycle it runs through, an oscillation from task focus to processing and back to task focus. The idea that you can use ‘grit’ or ‘self-control’ to stay focused and productive every minute of every day is not merely incorrect, it is gaslighting, and it is potentially damaging your brain.” –Emily Nagoski, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

Manage your expectations. To determine if your expectations are reasonable, consider this:

1. Whose standard am I trying to meet?
2. Do I have the time to commit to this?
3. What’s the worst thing that could happen if I don’t do this?
4. How can I honor my boundaries in this situation?

–Nedra Glover Tawwab, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself

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