Change Your Thinking with CBT

when we recruit the support of other people, we can usually come up with more, and often better, ideas.

Brainstorming possible options and then narrowing them down to a short list is the best way to work out what needs to be done.

Clearly defining the problem makes the situation feel more manageable and draws attention to the things we need to work on.

When solutions are not obvious, we need to think creatively. Brainstorming helps us to explore a wider range of options and can lead to better

When solutions are not obvious, we need to think creatively. Brainstorming helps us to explore a wider range of options and can lead to better solutions.

it is important to think laterally and to write down all ideas, even those that initially seem silly or impractical (silly ideas can sometimes lead to clever ideas).

For more complex goals or those that require some planning, it is often helpful to break them down into small chunks or ‘subgoals’. These are the stepping stones to your main goals.

For more complex goals or those that require some planning, it is often helpful to break them down into small chunks or ‘subgoals’. These are the stepping stones to your main goals. Setting a deadline for each step can provide an additional psychological boost.

if we do choose to deviate from our original goals, this should be based on a considered decision rather than low frustration tolerance or a lack of commitment

For a variety of reasons we procrastinate, make excuses and rationalise: ‘What’s the use? It won’t work anyway … I’ll do it later when I am ready.’ The desire for change may be there, but not the drive to follow through.

work out which goals are most important at this time, and which other goals need to go on hold for the time being.

Wanting things to change is not enough. To achieve specific goals we need to clearly define what we want, make a decision to actively pursue it and create a plan of action.

The ability to tolerate unpleasant experiences is a strong predictor of one’s ability to persevere and succeed in the longer term.

Recognising distractions when they arise and having strategies in place to address them and then return to our goals is an important ingredient for success.

there is no doubt that learning to delay gratification and tolerate frustration can increase our likelihood of achieving our goals.

there is no doubt that learning to delay gratification and tolerate frustration can increase our likelihood of achieving our goals. Sometimes we need to tell ourselves: ‘Don’t eat that marshmallow!’

Sometimes we need to re-prioritise—put some of our goals on hold while we work towards our highest-priority goals.

When we sort out our psychological obstacles, the logistical obstacles often become less daunting.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. THOMAS EDISON

When we look at our negative cognitions, we can often see the lack of logic in our thinking, and the beliefs that can be challenged.