Turns Out You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Neuroplasticity is a scientific way of saying you can teach an old dog new tricks, which is good news for dogs and people. For dogs it means their owners can learn new ways to train them, and for people it means your dog can be better trained. Win win.

But since I don’t coach dogs (yet) this post is going to focus on the people part—with you as the dog in training.

My mission in coaching is to help people identify what's not working for them so they can go for their dreams. Whether it’s a new job, losing weight, relationship work, exercise, or finishing a project, it always comes back to your thinking.

Most of the people I work with have tried everything they can think of to reach their goal and it hasn’t happened. Most often the reason they haven’t been successful is that they’re changing their behavior without changing their thinking. If you don’t change your thinking it’s only a matter of time before you’re back in front of the TV eating mindlessly, or thinking thoughts of how you’ve fallen short, or skipping the gym, or feeling disappointment.

That’s where neuroplasticity comes into play. Neuroplasticity tells us that the brain can, and does, create new neural pathways to hold the new messages we tell ourselves, and the more we practice new thinking the weaker the old pathways and thoughts become.

Old dog, new tricks!

That means you can actually lose negative thoughts (doubt, lack, not good enough, not productive enough, etc) by interrupting them and thinking new thoughts. It sounds easy, and the basics are simple: don’t think the negative thoughts, come up with new, positive ones—boom, done, I’m a new me.

The truth is, it is not as easy as it sounds, but it isn’t that hard either.

Steps to changing your thinking

Become aware of it. This means noticing your thoughts. Let's say you start an exercise program, you commit to 3x/week and you follow thru for 2 weeks, then in the 3rd week you skip a day. There was a thought there that allowed you to skip it. Something like: It isn't making a difference; I'll make it up (but you don't); I'm exhausted; I have so much to do, this is just stressing me out; I forgot I wanted to clean the closet; I need to spend more time with the kids; Oh look, my favorite show is on...

When you have a negative or justifying thought for not exercising the result is not following though on your commitment.

Once you notice the thought you have a choice as to whether or not you change it. If you want a different result you need different input.

This is where it gets a little more challenging, at least in the beginning. It's kind of like going to the gym, you are building new muscles, new ways of thinking and it takes more effort in the beginning but the payoff can be life changing.

Create a new thought. So let's say you had the thought: I have so much to do, this is just stressing me out. You need to find a new thought that you can believe, this is critical, it must be believable. You want a thought that will create action toward your desired result. It might be: I have a lot to do but the dishes can wait; Taking time for myself will help with the stress; When I exercise I am more patient with the kids; When I exercise I am more productive.

With a thought that serves your goal you are poised to get there. I'm not saying it's easy, it takes conscious effort and a commitment to yourself but developing this skill can get you where you want to go.

So that's how you begin to teach an old dog new tricks: Become aware of your thinking; Find new, believable thoughts as a bridge out of the old thinking.

Practice and repeat, over and over and over. It takes repetition to create the new connections in your brain. Once you start to create the new connections the old ones begin to fade.

The year is young, it's the perfect time to try a new approach.

Give it a try, leave a comment and tell me how it goes.