How To Take The ‘Woo-Woo’ Out Of The Equation (Positive Thinking Under A Microscope)
- Nov 11, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 6, 2022
Written by: Tim Nash, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“If you dream it, you can become it.”
“You can do anything that you set your mind to.”
Yeah…I don’t know about that.
No matter how much I practiced basketball as a kid, I was never going to “be like Mike” (if you missed the Michael Jordan 90’s ad blitz).
No dreaming or mind “setting” was going to make this happen for me.
What I do believe in, however, is the power of positive thinking.
And not because of some best-selling book or Oprah-approved guru.
For the healthy skeptics out there, let me take the “woo-woo” out of this tired self-help concept.
By the way, I’m the first person to encourage the healthy impulse to improve oneself.
I’ve committed my life to helping people grow and develop.
However, the world of self-help is a slippery slope.
A lot of people out there are making a lot of promises…some that make me want to vomit.
Before we put positive thinking under the microscope, let’s look at the nature of thoughts:
Thoughts are just pieces of information that enter your mind and then disappear.
However, they have the power to influence what happens to you.
Have you ever experienced a self-fulfilling prophecy pitfall – you think you’re going to fail at something, and you do?
For me, it often happens with technical things. I digress.
Unless you have the confidence and skill of Air Jordan, you’ve experienced this common pitfall.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy in Reverse
DailyOm’s Madisyn Taylor puts a positive spin on things:
“How you think can have a profound effect on your ability to recognize opportunity…you begin to create the circumstances conducive to you achieving what you desire.”
Think about it – if you’re engaging your negative brain chatter, chances are you won’t be in a state of mind to seize those rare opportunities that pop up when least expected.
For a few brief years in my expat life in Munich, I had the chance to do some voice work for BMW, Red Bull, and a few others.
I just happened to be a native English speaker living in a time and place that was looking for an English-speaking voice actor. Yes, right time, right place.
Nevertheless, it took some courage to pursue this opportunity and wrestle with the Imposter Syndrome when the studio lights came on. If I'd been hanging my head with my eyes closed when this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself, I’d have surely missed it.
Think about a time when you were looking for something and you didn’t stop until you found it. That’s because you were convinced that it was out there. That’s the power of the mind.
“You are more likely to imagine positive situations or outcomes and disregard the thoughts related to giving up, failure, or roadblocks. What the mind expects, it finds.”
I couldn’t agree more, Madisyn.
The Why
Here are 3 concrete (anti-"woo woo") reasons to stay positive in your thoughts:
1. Increased confidence.
If you’re expecting a positive outcome, you feel more in control – both when setting goals and facing challenges.
Feeling more in control can lead to increased confidence.
There’s no better source of personal power than confidence.
2. Sharper focus.
It’s impossible to ignore or disregard negative thoughts. But you DO NOT have to indulge them.
Remember that person at school that was always saying mean or untrue things about you?
You had a choice – believe them or move past them.
It’s the same with thoughts. You hear them but you don’t have to focus on them.
By embracing the positive brain chatter and letting go of the negative stuff, you improve your ability to focus on the thoughts that lead to positive outcomes.
3. Better problem-solving skills.
“When you're sure that you are worthy and that achievement is within your grasp, you start to relax and look for solutions rather than dwelling on problems.”
DailyOm’s call for a more relaxed solution orientation reminds me of Tim Gallwey’s sport-transcending tip to find the sweet spot between relaxation and concentration.
Without a doubt, “relaxed concentration” will lead to better problem-solving skills.
The How
To help you stay positive in your thoughts so that you can reap the 3 above benefits, here are 3 actions you can take RIGHT NOW:
1. Make the commitment.
Once you decide to embrace positive thinking, you start to believe that your goals are attainable and solutions to your problems are within reach.
Positive thinking might not change your situation overnight.
The effect on your mood and the quality of your experiences, however, will be profound.
If you go to the cinema expecting to have a good time, chances are you’ll have a good time - even if the film isn’t great.
Don't take my word for it. Test this out for yourself.
2. Practice and persist.
Like with most things, practice makes things easier.
With persistent practice, they become habit.
As positive thinking increases your chances of success in any area of life or work, this is a habit you want to grow and develop.
The next time a negative thought enters your mind, try replacing it with a positive one.
Before: “I’m so sick of people asking for my help…I’m buried in work…my job sucks!”
After: “I’m so busy right now because my boss trusts me with more and more responsibility…for sure this is increasing my visibility and value at work!”
With practice and persistence, you can train your mind to reframe thoughts that don’t serve you into ones that do.
As the brain is full of incessant chatter, you’ll never run out of opportunities to practice.
3. Build personal resilience.
Positive thinking helps you navigate times of chaos and uncertainty with confidence.
The current global pandemic is one of those times.
The grounding belief that things will eventually get better is also a key success factor for personal resilience.
Helping senior professionals perform at their best during this challenging time, I observed personal resilience emerge as the MOST important skill of them all.
BUT…it’s much more than a skill or ability.
It’s a mindset that helps you bounce back from setbacks or unexpected events (global pandemics, for example).
If you’d like to strengthen your powers of resilience so that you can achieve peak performance in times of uncertainty, as a gift to my valuable readers like you, I have created a guide with 4 secrets to help you “Boost Personal Resilience”:
Clarity. Focus. Action
Are you ready for a change but aren’t quite sure what it will look like?
That is why I created KICKSTARTER – a 3-session 1-to-1 coaching program with a LASER FOCUS to help senior professionals like you kickstart your next move - new job role, career pivot, or something not yet clear.
If you are ready for a kickstart, let me help you clarify what matters to you and create the ACTION PLAN to go after it!
Apply HERE for an opportunity to work with me.
Wherever you are on your journey, I’d love to stay connected with you.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
For regular tips and closer interaction, connect with me on LinkedIn and Facebook. Reach out and let me know you’ve read this article.
Tim Nash, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Tim Nash is on a mission to help senior professionals escape their energy-zapping maze, focus on what matters and pave the way for success. Via the empowering principles of Gestalt, he guides his clients below the surface to overcome what is preventing them from performing at their best.
For over two decades, Tim has helped young professionals to C-level executives lead and collaborate across cultures. He is also the founder of The Path To Peak Performance which includes his dynamic coaching practice and American Transplant web series.
