Much has been written about the number of thoughts we have every day (something in the order of 60 thousand) and that most of them are the same as the previous day. What I take from this stat is that our change plans and personal evolution tends to happen slowly, certainly more slowly than is possible.
My personal development work recently (with my coach Drew Rozell) focuses on my thoughts, consciously and actively choosing them, and noticing the impact it has on subsequent thoughts and ultimately the results I create.
What I have discovered in the process, or perhaps I have remembered in the process, is that the first hours in the day are incredibly, disproportionately, exponentially more significant than trying to think positive change and development stuff in later hours.
Every morning between wake up and first appointment you are “collecting your thoughts”. Normally sourced from yesterday events, today’s expected events and the story you are currently repeating about you circumstance right now (e.g. “I never have enough time”, “there’s too much to do”, “I’m rubbish in the morning”). These stories become your default setting; subsequent thoughts can only ever be linked to this default place. Hence change happens slowly.
What might your recurring story be? Is it the setting that helps you evolve, or keeps you where you are?
The great thing is you can change your default, and that’s this week’s challenge. Begin each day with a re-setting. Chose a recurring time, such as while or just after you brush your teeth. It’s important you think something you believe, not an outrageous pipe dream thought. Make it positive like “I’ll use the time I have today brilliantly”, “I’ll focus my time one the high impact things today”, “I have resources available to me all day long”. Chose a statement that feels best.
Changing your morning thinking and setting more powerful intentions for the day can be the distinction between achievers and non-achievers, the evolved and the unevolved, the relaxed and the stressed. Work with a coach in this, it will be worth it. There are a few truly great coaches in the world, I can help you find them, just ask.