Reframing - Part 0: Why Reframing Matters

I lean on my peers and leaders around me for advice a lot. It’s usually a specific problem I'm trying to work through, so naturally, I get specific advice. Once in a while, however, the advice I get is a lot more broad. It’s usually an “aha” moment that makes me step back and approach problems from a different perspective.

This is a reframe.

I love it when this happens because not only am I taught to fish, but my proverbial fishing rod has been upgraded altogether.

I’ll cover many of the reframes I’ve encountered in future parts of this series, but first, I want to start by talking about why reframing is important.

Understanding the Power of Your Thoughts

It’s important to realize that your life is not reality. That sounds way deeper than it is - what I mean is that your life as you perceive it is guided by your thoughts about the world and your place in it. This means your thoughts are your reality.

Ignorance, confusion, and incompetence can account for most of the crappy things people do. Sure, some people have malicious intent - but most people are good people doing bad things under the influence of some bad ideas and thoughts.

This means our thoughts and ideas are an extremely powerful force in our lives. Our ability to view the world more closely to what it is rather than what we believe it to be is rooted in the clarity of our thoughts. Most of the obstacles I’ve overcome in my life and career have been through a shift in my mindset and approach to specific barriers.

I wanted to open the reframe series with this because it shows you how impactful changing your thoughts can be on your life. It will literally change who you are as a person. Everything you do in hopes of improving your life will only have a lasting impact if you improve your ability to control your thoughts.

You might argue that reframing is only as good as the new perspective you shift to, and you're not wrong. I hope to deliver value to you in the reframes that I share in the future.

But suppose we disregard the outcome for a moment. In that case, we realize that what we'll become good at is the ability to change our thoughts (and, therefore, who we are) with less resistance. The better you become at this, the more quickly you can shift perspectives whenever you encounter adversity or obstacles, and the more free you become to create your own reframes whenever you need them.

This is something that most people are terrible at, and will be a massive advantage for you in experiencing success - however you define it.