{"id":8417,"date":"2011-12-25T23:12:57","date_gmt":"2011-12-26T07:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=8417"},"modified":"2013-09-16T10:29:07","modified_gmt":"2013-09-16T18:29:07","slug":"what-to-change-in-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Change in 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Picture-1.png\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s fair to say that most people reading this will want 2012 to be better than 2011. This isn\u2019t necessarily negative nor am I talking recession, gloom and downturn. It\u2019s simply in our nature to want to grow and develop \u2013 we\u2019re designed to want to reach beyond our grasp and make things better.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also fair to say most people don\u2019t keep their New Year\u2019s Resolutions to be better, do more to have more (and again this is in all areas: spiritual, material, relationships etc.)<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, there are reasons for this (and drunkenly promising to love your dog more at 11.59pm is only one of them). The main reason is that on Jan 1<sup>st<\/sup> 12:01am <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you are actually no different to what you were a few minutes ago<\/span>. (You may, of course, be drunker though.) As a result, by Jan 20<sup>th<\/sup> you have probably given up trying to change.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>If you want to make <strong>real changes<\/strong> you need to sober up and listen. The following sound like self-help platitudes but are actually common sense.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cTo get different results <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you need to do something different<\/span>.\u201d (Anthony Robbins)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cThe definition of insanity is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">doing the same thing over and over again<\/span>\u201d (Ben Franklin)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These sayings last because they are true <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">but<\/span> at a certain level they are <em>still<\/em> <em>unhelpful<\/em>. If you are talking about varying market strategies for your business or learning to paint &#8211; or any number of physically or behaviorally oriented skills then yes, it\u2019s all good.<\/p>\n<p>But when it comes to changing YOU then you need a different approach.<\/p>\n<p>Einstein said that \u201cproblems cannot be solved at the same level that created them.\u201d Where it comes to humans this is more true than he knew.<\/p>\n<p>Our minds are dynamic systems that build themselves through repeatedly jumping to higher levels and creating new ways of thinking using the information from lower levels. Sometimes we energize certain thoughts and they become solidified as beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>These beliefs end up forming (at higher levels) the basis of your perceptions, habits and behaviors &#8211; what characterizes you (your character). Their power over your everyday thinking and actions is formidable.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore <strong>beliefs<\/strong>, because of their driving influence in these areas, are the place to start designing your New Year\u2019s Resolutions. In fact, they are one of the best places to examine before you make any major change. Knowing solves the problem of which area of self-help to start with.<\/p>\n<p>Why? Because belief-change forms the backbone of almost any self-help course of change.<\/p>\n<p>Think of it this way: in 2005 American\u2019s read $693 million dollars worth of self-help books and by 2010 the American self-help market was worth $10.9 Billion. That\u2019s a lot of reading, listening and learning.<\/p>\n<p>Virtually all of these courses will ask you overtly or implicitly to change your beliefs in order to get new results. This is reasonable.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>problem<\/em> is they don\u2019t usually tell you how.<\/p>\n<p>As a result we often try to change beliefs <em>from a lower level<\/em> of thinking \u2013 using physical effort to alter our behaviors in an attempt to be different.<\/p>\n<p>Our beliefs exist <em>above<\/em> our everyday level of consciousness and this is why wishing we could change, straining to change and trying to change our behavior doesn\u2019t often work. It\u2019s like pulling a rubber band and expecting it to stay stretched.<\/p>\n<p>What do you need to do then? You need to learn how to cut the band!<\/p>\n<p>In case you were wondering: Beliefs are formed one of several ways. We gather evidence for something over a period of time and one day decide (from a higher level of thinking ABOUT the evidence) to believe it. Or, we have an experience or a flash or emotion that causes us to pay special neurological attention to a particular idea \u2013 and it becomes a belief.<\/p>\n<p>Ironically, the way we do both of these processes have their origin in the simplest of English words: Yes, and No.<\/p>\n<p>What happens when we develop a phobia should help to illustrate my point.<\/p>\n<p>When we have a shocking experience (I knew of someone who saw a bump in someone\u2019s neck burst open and baby spiders pour out) then our minds release a massive burst of energy marking that event with a giant neurological NO! Afterwards, we don\u2019t have to remind ourselves to feel aversion to that kind of experience \u2013 our mind kindly freaks out every time.<\/p>\n<p>Thus the mind has developed a belief that we should not go near that thing \u2013 NO!<\/p>\n<p>In the same way, ecstatic experiences (yes, that one as well) give us a massive burst of pleasure energy and create a neurological YES to which we are more likely to respond in the future.<\/p>\n<p>We need both kinds of beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018No\u2019 beliefs (shocking and less so) are necessary for us to set boundaries and help us focus on what our YES beliefs are pointed towards. If you are studying for a course it helps to be able to say YES more to study than to partying. If you want to be faithful then you have to say YES to your spouse and NO to giving in to sexual temptation. And so on.<\/p>\n<p>It is the combination of the things we have said YES and NO to that make up our life. Yes, life is made up fundamentally of what we say YES and NO to. If you don\u2019t stand for something (YES) you\u2019ll stand for anything because you don\u2019t have a strong sense of direction shaped by your beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that we can all change even when we feel we can\u2019t. Whenever you mentally step back and evaluate your thinking with questions like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What belief would I rather hold?<\/li>\n<li>What do I need to believe in order to be different in this area?<\/li>\n<li>What beliefs do I think a successful person in this area already holds?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u2026then you are questioning the structure of your thinking from a position of authority. You see, unlike the apes we humans can constantly question the quality of our thinking. We can ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Does it SERVE me to think this way?<\/li>\n<li>Do I like the results I am getting?<\/li>\n<li>Do I want to keep on thinking this way? If I do, what will I be doing in ten years?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The mere fact of being able to question puts us in a position to change because we are now operating at a level <strong>above<\/strong> the beliefs! Think of it like the boss being at the top of the office building issuing orders to plebs down below.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you are willing to consider that you need to some new beliefs in order to do something different \u2013 what results do you want next year? And what will you need to believe?<\/p>\n<p>William James said:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo change one\u2019s life:<br \/>\n1. Start immediately.<br \/>\n2. Do it flamboyantly.<br \/>\n3. No exceptions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So do you want a fast effective way to change your beliefs? To start now?<\/p>\n<p>To help you get a head start I have a special offer for PicktheBrain readers. I\u2019ve created a belief change program based on the pioneering work of P.hd L. Michael Hall. It teaches you how to generate the emotional energy for change and use your YES and NO to create and destroy beliefs in just a few minutes.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a manual and 12 downloadable audio tracks which will take you through the patterns. See the main page at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.change-my-beliefs.com\/\">www.change-my-beliefs.com<\/a> and the reader offer at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.change-my-beliefs.com\/pickthebrain\">www.change-my-beliefs.com\/pickthebrain<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t Forget To sign up for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/no-spam-guarantee\/\">PTB NEWSLETTER!<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/pickthebrain\"><img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/myap.liveperson.com\/se.asp?e=177&amp;id=7952\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"..\/self-discipline\/\">How To Increase Self Discipline<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"..\/how-to-motivate-yourself\/\">How To Motivate Yourself<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s fair to say that most people reading this will want 2012 to be better than 2011. This isn\u2019t necessarily negative nor am I talking recession, gloom and downturn. It\u2019s simply in our nature to want to grow and develop \u2013 we\u2019re designed to want to reach beyond our grasp and make things better. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":8517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[1817,114,116,1745,972,1816,66,488,4629],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What to Change in 2012  - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Does it SERVE me to think this way? Do I like the results I am getting? Do I want to keep on thinking this way? If I do, what will I be doing in ten years? The mere fact of being able to question puts us in a position to change because we are now operating at a level above the beliefs! Think of it like the boss being at the top of the office building issuing orders to plebs down below.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to Change in 2012  - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Does it SERVE me to think this way? Do I like the results I am getting? Do I want to keep on thinking this way? If I do, what will I be doing in ten years? The mere fact of being able to question puts us in a position to change because we are now operating at a level above the beliefs! Think of it like the boss being at the top of the office building issuing orders to plebs down below.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-12-26T07:12:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2013-09-16T18:29:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Picture-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"772\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"616\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erin Falconer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Picture-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Picture-1.png\",\"width\":\"772\",\"height\":\"616\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/\",\"name\":\"What to Change in 2012 - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/what-to-change-in-2012\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2011-12-26T07:12:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2013-09-16T18:29:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\"},\"description\":\"Does it SERVE me to think this way? 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