Thinking Your Way to Better Outcomes
Thinking your way to better outcomes. Your thoughts determine your perspective and if you think a thought long enough it can become your belief or truth. There’s nothing wrong with that unless the belief is a limiting belief and it hinders you in gaining the outcomes you want in life.
Think Feel Do Model. Using the Think Feel Do (or Act) Model is a game changer for many people in learning how to manage their thoughts to gain better outcomes. The model is a helpful strategy for moving from unhelpful thoughts to ones that move you forward.
Let’s play with the model! Grab your journal or a piece of paper and pen. Write down, vertically, on the paper these three words: Think, Feel, Do.
Think. Next to the word “think”, write a thought. A thought is something you think/believe about the circumstances around you. A circumstance is anything that happens outside of you that can be proved. For instance, your boss said, “Thanks for getting the report to me today.” We know that’s a circumstance because you could record your boss saying that sentence. You can prove it. Another example could be, “It’s 101 degrees outside.” Again, this is provable because you can measure the temperature with a thermometer. However, if you said, “It’s bloomin’ hot outside.” That would be a thought, not a circumstance because that sentence is subjective.
Think: I am way too busy.
Feel. Following the word “feel” on your paper, write the emotion you feel when you think the thought you just wrote down. It’s important to remember a feeling/emotion is one word. It is NOT a sentence. “I’m really loving what my boss said” is not a feeling. That’s a thought. If you need some help in identifying your emotion, try an emotion wheel like AllTheFeelz.
Feel: Overwhelmed / panicked
Do: Next, on the “do” line answer this question, “What do you do (or how do you act) when you feel the emotion you listed above?” Emotions are drivers of behavior and you want to check in to determine if your actions are generating the results you want.
Do: I procrastinate and buffer with social media, so I create more work for myself.
Now what? With the evaluation of the outcome from your action line, you can clearly see if the thought is working for you or if it’s getting in your way.
How I can help. As your coach, I provide coaching for you as you identify your thoughts, feelings and actions. Together we’ll examine outdated truths or patterns that are not serving you and determine what new thoughts would help you achieve the outcomes you truly desire.