Trying Something New

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Each and every week I have the opportunity to go inside of companies to train high potential employees and coach managers.  Getting to do this every week is a true passion of mine as I help individuals open their minds to what personal growth and development can do in their lives. There’s nothing like seeing some one come alive when they realize there is more in life for themselves.

Today I had the privilege of seeing that light bulb go off in a managers mind and I am so excited to see where this leads for this individual.

I started this new training class last week and as usual I start with trying to figure out just how growth oriented the group was. With no surprise most of the people in the class had not read a personal growth book or any book for that matter in quite a while. Knowing that, I know that there thoughts are pretty consistent without any intentional outside stimulation. I have read that 90% of the thoughts you thought today you thought yesterday. So how does one break the mental pattern.

For most it looks like this…..You wake up, You go to work, You come home, You watch tv, You go to bed!……..You wake up, You go to work, You come home, You watch tv, You go to bed!…..You wake up, You go to work, You come home, You watch tv, You go to bed!

Don’t get me wrong I am guilty as anyone of being in routines. I have 4 year old triplets and a 4 month old. Routine is a way of survival in our household.

So in the class I give several ways that you can change the thoughts that you are having. One of those is doing something new.  When was the last time you did something for the very first time?

It’s difficult sometimes because we are creatures of habit. When you try new things it does cause you to have different thoughts. Think about it how many days in a row have you drove the exact same way to work? Only to realize when you got there you had no idea how you got there. What other choices are you making through the day that are done with any new thinking?

So my suggestion is simple, one way to trigger new thoughts is doing simple new things. Take a different way to work, listen to a different radio station (I recommend listening to a personal growth and development audio), Try a new food, Try a new snack, Try a new soda, switch the side of the bed you sleep on, etc… it doesn’t take major changes to shift your thoughts.

As I explained this on the first class you would have thought I called some of them out individually.  Well after the class one of the individuals came to me and said “Hey you were talking about me” How do I change that and I elaborated more.

I was excited to hear all of the small things this person changed over the last week, they felt like they had more clarity, more energy, more productive and begin to have this desire to grow because of realizing the stagnation in their life. One of the things this person did was brushed their hair in a different part of the house. Sounds humorous but the said something shifted from that one small act.

So what will it be for you? We have all heard the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. You know that so why keep doing the same thing?