Have you ever tried to make positive changes to your lifestyle, only to give up because your thoughts convinced you that the lifestyle you desire will never happen?
Do you find yourself regularly distracted from your dreams and desires as your focus is redirected to external events and/or demands of other people?
If so, you are not alone.
The first thing we must be willing to do in reclaiming our power over these thoughts and distractions is to acknowledge what they are getting us to believe about ourselves.
Most negative thoughts convince us that it’s safer to give up on our dreams and desires than it is to try to fulfill them.
From the news to people in our lives, external distractions convince us that everything and everyone is more important than our own dreams and desires.
Wherever you find yourself facing negative thoughts and distractions, I am here to tell you there is a proven method to reverse their effects.
This method involves 4 steps for observing your thoughts. This article and video will address these steps and how to apply them to your life.
In our seventh article and video in a new, 12-part exclusive series for Sixty and Me readers titled “Visualize a Vibrant New Lifestyle After 60,” you are going to learn how to observe and change thoughts that are not serving your dream lifestyle.
Afraid of Thinking and Acting Differently?
With decades of wisdom and priceless life experience to rely on, why do so many of us over 60 have such a difficult time observing our negative thoughts long enough to not only make sense of them, but to figure out how to overcome them?
After all these years, could it be that we are unconsciously afraid of the consequences of thinking and acting differently?
To answer these questions, it’s essential that we understand what is required of us to create the lifestyle of our dreams.
We must be willing to acknowledge what is not serving us if we are to make positive changes in our lives. This means identifying beliefs, behaviors, and thoughts that do not serve our well-being and then replacing them.
Wanting to make these kinds of changes is one thing, doing it is something else entirely.
4 Steps to Observe Your Thoughts
To help make the process easier, I’m sharing four of my personal go-to steps that will help you observe your thoughts and transform your lifestyle.
1) Slow Down
You cannot observe your thoughts if you are constantly on the go. The process of listening to what your thoughts are saying begins with creating more time in your day to slow down and quiet your mind.
From this quiet space you can more easily tune into the false stories your inner critic is telling you through negative thoughts. This is also how you can hear your true, authentic self provide timeless wisdom on creating your dream lifestyle.
Perhaps even more challenging than slowing down and observing your inner thoughts is to remain in a quiet and comfortable place for as long as you need. This is an act of self-love because it is here that you start to learn who you truly are and what dreams and desires are in alignment with you at this stage of life.
2) Mundane Activities
Your thoughts are always speaking to you, but are you listening? Whether it’s limiting beliefs or your dreams and desires trying to get your attention, thoughts are easiest to hear when you are doing daily automatic routines.
This is where you shift from being on autopilot to becoming a mindful observer of how your mind works, especially when you are busy focusing on mundane, daily activities.
I go into more detail on this step and step #3 in the accompanying video.
3) Clarity on Self-Critical Dialogue
Self-critical dialogue that is important to gain clarity on refers to your dreams and desires for an improved lifestyle. These kinds of thoughts take place so regularly you do not even notice how your inner critic and other people convince you to hold onto outdated beliefs, while talking you out of visualizing your dreams.
4) Don’t Buy It
From your inner critic to negative people, feel free to listen to their negative thoughts, just do not buy into what they’re selling.
When you buy into negative thoughts, it’s based on past experiences. This creates self-doubt about the future, while it reinforces your limiting beliefs and amplifies negative thoughts in the present.
When you invest your time and emotions into repetitively overthinking negative thoughts from the past, you’re making that which is familiar seem impossible to change. Therefore, be mindful to observe what kind of negativity you are buying into as it relates to your dreams and desires.
Next Steps:
In our eighth article and video in this series, we will look at how an acting technique can not only help you retrace the origins of your thoughts, but in doing so, you will learn how to “Rewrite Your Lifestyle Script After 60”.
I invite you to join me in the video, where I will share additional insights and tips on observing your thoughts through “Mundane Activities” and getting “Clarity on Self-Critical Dialogue.”
Let’s Have a Conversation:
What negative and positive thoughts do you commonly have when you think about your desired lifestyle?
