Chances are you're pretty stuck in the way you think. If you don't already know, your way of thinking is really just the mental habits you've developed over time that are affecting how you do things. If you want to change any bad habits, you have to start from the ground up. No one has all the answers, but you can learn how to change your thinking for the better.
The first step is to get clear on what you're aiming for. Why do you want to change things? What's the result you're after? How are you going to get there? Is it realistic to think you'll achieve those results in the next ten minutes?
Next, think about how that outcome fits into the bigger picture of who you are. Are you more of a person who thinks a lot and talks a lot, or do you tend to keep your cards close to your chest? Do you get frustrated easily and have difficulty with change? Do you have any kind of phobia or a "mental block"? These things might guide you to where you're going and help you define what your goals are.
Once you know why you want to make the changes, the next step is to examine your current thinking habits. Where does your thinking conflict with your goals? Are you using "logic" or do you let your "fear of failure" talk you into staying stuck? Are your habits filled with logical fallacies such as "the right thing to do would be to..." or "never try to do anything stupid"?
Once you have an understanding of your current thinking habits, you can begin to change them. You'll have to make many changes at first, but stick with it. Remember that habits are mostly automatic, but if you continue to resist doing something and then change your mind, you can often permanently change your thinking.
Think about what made you change the way you did things in the past. It could be a new idea that gave you another angle, or it could be an understanding that a situation was not going to work out. Perhaps you just didn't want to do something because it irritated you or was difficult. When you identify your triggers, you can easily change the way you approach a new situation.
Once you have identified your problem thinking patterns, you can take action. There are many tools available to help you change the way you think, just choose one that suits your needs. For example, some people find that associating unpleasant images with their negative feelings helps them get rid of those feelings. Or you might want to focus more on the end result you want instead of the process of getting there.
Whatever you do, don't give up! If you don't see results after changing your flow of thinking, stick with it. Remember that habits are hard to unlearn. Changing your thinking habits is not easy but if you persist you'll soon be thinking like a different person!
Some people are so good at changing their thinking they can do it in minutes. Others need months or years. Whichever way you go, the important thing is to keep at it. The only way you'll notice results is if you're not thinking like you used to.
This summer I decided to travel to Africa. It was supposed to be a short vacation. I packed light and wore comfortable shoes. However, once I arrived, my new thinking was way off course.
I found myself thinking about all the things I needed to do and which places I should visit. I had never been to Africa before and my flow of thought kept me from taking action. I kept my cool and kept working. A few weeks later I was ready to jet off again.
When you want to change your flow of thinking for the better, you need to think new. It's not enough to think what you've always thought. To truly be successful, you need to think differently. You need to challenge your current thinking. So, take a few minutes right now and challenge your thinking habits.