I remember the first time I heard about Thought Work, or “The Model.”
It made sense to me; perfectly so.
You know that feeling you get when you are hearing truth in a pure form? That was the feeling.
It explained so much in so few words. The Model aligned with my own developing thought paradigms about self-development.
“The Model” was a simple equation with variables for me to manipulate, that created hundreds of different outcomes.
So, what exactly is “The Model?”
The Model is a tool for observing your thinking.
What are the variables?
Circumstances:
These are the factual pieces of the story we tell about our lives. We all have a story we like to tell.
My boss is a regional director and has little time to do anything, which means I must pick up the slack and do everything on my own and I feel constantly overwhelmed by all of it. I do not want to do any of it, anymore.
The only facts in this story are boss is a regional director.
We can see things more clearly when we can separate the facts from the story.
Thoughts.
Thoughts are the narrative we create from the facts. We have a choice about what to believe from those facts.
This might be news to some. Many people assume that everyone with the same facts would have the same experience. Not so.
Two people view the same piece of art, at the same gallery, at the same time. As they exit, one believes it was the most beautiful piece of art they have ever seen and the other believe it was terrible. Who is right? If the art is responsible for creating thoughts, then they would have the same experience and the same thought about the art.
This happens all the time. The same set of circumstances will create different thoughts for each person.
Feelings.
You feel the way you do because of the thoughts you are thinking. Our feelings are not caused by our circumstances. Any emotional turmoil you feel is caused by negative thinking and always contains gross distortions of the circumstances.
Said differently – you control your feelings with your thoughts.
Many of us are not aware of our programming most of the time. We simply think it is who we are. But what if we are wrong about all of it?
Actions.
Actions describe all the things we are doing, and all the things we do not do when we are experiencing certain feelings.
Everyone has their own version of what they do when they feel something they do not want to feel.
When we learn something, it creates a weak neural pathway. If we repeat it or add a significant amount of emotion to it, it becomes increasingly unconscious and effortless. A habit is formed. When circumstances happen, I think this thought, I feel this way, and then I behave in this manner.
Result.
Our equation looks like this: Circumstances + Thought + Feeling + Action = Results
Traditionally, we write the model in its abbreviated form like this:
C: boss is a regional director
T: I must do everything (Negative)
F: Overwhelmed
A: Procrastinate, blame others for my discomfort, destructive coping mechanisms, etc.
R: I do not do the work either, or now I have more work to do.
In looking at my life as a mathematical equation, I was able to take responsibility for the variables, and my life shifted and continues to shift.
I still have a boss who is a regional director, so what changed?
My circumstances did not change, I changed my thoughts about my circumstances.
You create different emotions and actions by changing your thoughts about your circumstances and thereby altering your experience with your circumstances.
C: boss is a regional director
T: I do almost everything (Positive)
F: Confident
A: do what needs to be done, take care of myself, etc.
R: I get things done and it is not a problem
Final Thoughts.
The concepts of “The Model” or Thought Work may be a little scary for some. Do not be intimidated. It is simple, but not always easy. If you would like help getting started on your own thought work, consider scheduling a Discovery Call with me.