In the past few months, I’ve really been learning how our mind takes in information. What does it really take to shift from wanting to write your book, to taking the action needed finish it?

This is an area I’ve struggled with for so long, that I’ve wanted to really learn how to go from “I’m stuck and not finishing this book” to “I’m excited to finish writing my book.”

If you’ve been procrastinating on finishing your book, I hope this blogpost gives you a few helpful tips on the steps you can go through yourself, to shift you toward taking the action needed to finish your book.

5 Levels of How Our Mind Processes Information [Simplified]

Understanding or being very aware of our own thoughts and feelings and how we are interpreting different events and situations really does affect our ability to be either hindered or to have freedom in our creativity.

After many years of feeling stuck in my own writing, I finally realized one of the hindrances to my own creativity, has been how I have interpreted and applied some situations to my own identity. I’ll explain more as you read on.

First, I thought it would be helpful to explain these five levels to give an idea of how our mind processes information.

How Our Mind Takes In Information and Next Steps that Move Us To Take Action

Below is a simple, straightforward route that our minds take from receiving information to taking action. Of course, our brains are not as simplified as this. Our minds are a spiderweb of interconnectedness and intelligence that neuroscientists tell us they still don’t understand.

However, since it was through learning these five simple levels of how our mind works that gave me a breakthrough to understand how to rewire my own creative process, that’s how I’ll share this process below.

1.Our minds receive information. As we go throughout our regular lives, information comes into our brain. We might be working, studying or having conversations with our family or friends.

At this point, information that enters our minds is about details like: what we’re learning; how people treat us; how people perceive us, and the cause and effect of events, and more.

2.Our minds Interpret the Information. From the point of the information entering our minds, that information immediately goes to interpretation. It’s a really fast, reactive process. This is when we make a snap judgement about something as to whether we like it or don’t like it. This means we have a fast reaction and ask ourselves whether this is: safe or unsafe; familiar or unfamiliar; good or bad; certain or uncertain; recognize it or don’t recognize it.

This is also when our biases come into play. We either interpret the information as good or bad. This is done at the unconscious level in our minds and is usually a snap judgement.

3.Our minds apply the Interpretation to our Identity. Again our minds move quickly from Interpreting the information, to applying this to our identity. When we apply our interpretation of the event to our identity, we ask questions like: What does this mean to me? What does this say about me? How does this apply to me?

How we label things here and label ourselves, is where we can really change our lives forever. It’s at this turning point that we need to be very aware of our own thoughts and feelings and how we describe ourselves.

4.Our minds then set an Intention.  After we’ve observed our thoughts and have asked questions about how we feel this applies to our identity, the next thing our mind does is set an intention. What this means, is that we decide from our answers in the interpretation and identity steps, whether we will choose intentions that have the potential to either hinder or advance our progress.

In the intention step we ask questions like: what do I want to do with this information? What am I going to do in the future because of this? What is my next action to take from this?

How you answer these questions can put you either in self-protective mode or keep you open to new possibilities.

5.Our minds then set our initiative. From the intention we set in the above steps, flows all our initiative. The spark we feel to take action is from ambition and expectancy.

In this last step, we ask questions like: what do you really want to do in the world? What goals are you going after? How are you really showing up?

Most people don’t understand where their initiative – their motivation to take action – comes from. I didn’t understand this either, which is why learning these steps has been so helpful.

My big aha moment, was when I realized I had told myself the story that I am just protecting myself from pain. But the truth was, I was just scared to let myself be free and vulnerable again because I didn’t want to be hurt once again.

As I’ve become aware of how the mind works a little more, I’ve chosen to observe how and when I have a tendency to put negative labels on myself, thereby blocking my creativity.

The lesson learned here is to observe how we label our identity and intentions carefully, because out of intentions flow all of our initiative.

It’s only when our identity and intentions are free to flow unhindered, that we are freed up to take the action we really want to take, like writing and finishing a book.

The takeaway, is to ask yourself if you are taking the action you want to take everyday throughout the week.

If you find your writing has stalled out in some way, simply ask yourself what happened earlier that week that might have hindered your progress.

Here’s an example:

• On Monday there was something you couldn’t figure out either in a project at work or in your writing(information received).
• Perhaps, you believed this project was doomed to fail(your interpretation).
• Next, you told yourself that what this said about you was that I’m going to be a failure again(your identity).
• In the end, you decided I shouldn’t even try anymore(your intention).
• So finally, you decided to give up and watch Netflix instead(your initiative).

So if you find yourself dealing with a ton of self-doubt or limiting beliefs, ask yourself what happened earlier that day or that week. You might find the answer to this question sheds some light on where the self-doubt began in the first place.

Next, reverse the script that hindered you in each of the above five steps and you’ll begin to rewire your mindset.

Ideas on how to reverse the script from the above example:

• Monday there was something you couldn’t figure out in a project at work or in your writing(information received).
• Perhaps, you believed this project would either fail or succeed depending on your next steps(your interpretation).
• Next, you told yourself that what this said about you, was that I am confident that there is some way to figure this out either by researching, asking a mentor and/or by learning and working at it(your identity).
• In the end, you decided I will keep trying and work on this until somehow I figure out a solution(your intention).
• Finally, you decided I won’t give up. I will take action everyday until I’ve got this figured out(your initiative).

As you read this last example on reversing the script, I hope it has given you a glimpse into how you can make a shift in your own process from information to initiative.

If you use this 5 step process as a tool, it can help you to observe what’s going on and you’ll be able to shake things up so you can accelerate your own writing.

 

Have you found you’ve labelled yourself in a way that hinders your writing?  Please do share in the comments below… we can learn from and encourage each other 🙂