We all have had that nagging voice that tells us "don't do it" "you will get hurt" or "this is scary". Meanwhile we keep telling ourselves, "do it". Only to have the little voice of self-doubt win.
Negative thoughts can be major road blocks to improvement.
* That is too hard
* I cant do that
* I don't have time for that
* I hate conditioning
* That is scary
This self talk will keep progress at a snails pace. We must first be AWARE of this negative self talk in order to practice replacement (replacing a negative thought with a positive one).
* That is easy
* I can do that
* If I focus I can finish faster
* Conditioning helps me learn skills easier
* That skill is exciting
This may sound foolish at first. The brain believes what it is constantly told (lie or truth). If it is constantly bombarded with negative thoughts (like "I can't") it will believe those negative thoughts even when faced with hard evidence (like "I did"). It is OK if you don't really believe the positive thoughts at first. Say them ANYWAY. If you pretend to have positive thoughts you are moving in the right direction, and eventually YOU WILL start believing them.
BAM … PROGRESS!
Once the bad thoughts have been replaced, then it is time for MAINTENANCE. “Repetition is the motor of learning” and change is a process of taking baby steps. It is important that we practice these step daily. Going through the motions once or twice really won’t do the job.
We must MAINTAIN the process daily. Every time a negative thought enters the brain we must throw it away and replace a better thought and once we have this system in tact, MAINTAIN it on a daily basis
