Ladder Thoughts 2.0

(3-minute read time) 

I’ve been working with a client who is dealing with her organization being acquired.  Some employees at the company are excited, some are apprehensive.

Those that are feeling somewhat concerned are imagining a new work life that is a downgrade in some way.  Most of them can’t even quite put their finger on a specific concern, it’s more of a general angst that this new company won’t be as good as what they have today. If they could have their druthers, they’d keep everything as it was.  

Have you ever been there?   You know the place, the place where the evil you do know is better than the evil you don’t… In this place, the most desirable thing is consistency and you find yourself wishing that the thing that’s happening wasn’t happening.

As she and I worked together I was reminded of the Thought Ladder.  It’s an awesome tool and one of my most popular blog posts.  It’s been a while since I wrote about it, so I thought I would share some tips I’ve picked up since then.    

I won’t repeat the original details, so if you missed it you’ll have to go back and learn the basics by visiting my original post here.  For the rest of us, here are some Thought Ladder 2.0 tips… 

As a reminder, the bottom rung is the thought you desire to change.  It’s the current thought that isn’t serving you. Even if feels true, even if you are right about it, keeping it has no upside. 

The top rung is the thought you would like to believe one day.  It should feel ridiculously far-fetched and unbelievable at this point.  If you are not sure what to put here, you can always just put the opposite of the bottom rung thought.   

The rungs in between are where most of my clients struggle.  How do I come up with something believable??  

• Seek neutrality… Make your statement about the situation as factual and emotionless as possible.  For example, “X company purchased Y company”

• Depersonalize…  “Leaders move to other organizations”  is much more palatable for some than “My favorite boss bolted, maybe I should too”.  On a similar note, another client of mine has had success with this at home by changing her thought about her toddler from “He’s vindictive” to “Kids make messes sometimes”.      

• Slow down, stop trying so hard….  Many of my clients just want to leap to the desired thought.  The goal is just one baby step above the previous thought. It might feel minuscule, but progress is the goal – not perfection.  It doesn’t have to be an amazing thought, it just has to be better.   

• Practice, practice, practice…   Often we just want to move through life, and up the ladder – FAST!  However, the best way to make that happen is to welcome the opportunity to practice the thought on the next rung up.  Stop judging yourself for not being at the top rung and focus on making the next rung believable. I promise, if you really want to change your thinking, life will keep giving you opportunities to practice it   Once it becomes your new automatic response then, and only then, do you move up to the next rung.

If you are wrestling with something you would like to feel better about the Thought Ladder is an amazing tool to help get you there.  Even better is a guide to walk you through it. I can definitely help, just click here to schedule a free, 30-minute discovery session.