How to Handle Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts are normal. Everyone has them, even the greatest in the world.

When Novak Djokovic was learning how to emotionally handle the pressure of being a professional tennis player, he asked his coach how to stay positive despite so many negative thoughts.

The coach told him something Novak never forgot.

“It is not that I have fewer negative thoughts than you. It is that I do not stay in them long.”

He went on to tell Novak that the amount of practice he put into training his mind to quickly move away from negative thoughts would astonish most people.

That principle matters for you and me. No one is asking you to never think something bad might happen. No one is asking you to ignore what is wrong. But your brain is trainable. You can learn to move off negative thoughts because it’s a skill.

A former colleague of mine, Mark Houston, once taught a simple definition of a skill.
He said, “Skill is the ability to choose and perform the right technique at the right time with a minimum amount of effort.”

He is right. Handling negative thoughts is a skill. You can practice it. You can sharpen it. You can get faster at shifting your attention to something productive.

A sports psychologist named Morris Pickens taught me a simple technique 25 years ago. He called it “Cross the line.” After every tee shot, good or bad, you picked an imaginary line in front of you. The moment you crossed it, the last shot was gone. You were free to focus on the next one.

The Cross the Line Technique

1. Pick your line.
   Choose an imaginary line in front of you. It can be a crack in the sidewalk, the edge of a rug, or a point on the floor.

2. Cross it with intention.
   The moment you step over that line, the last thought is behind you. What happened is done. What matters is what you choose next.

You may not reach the level of Novak Djokovic, but you can get better at this. And with practice, you can cross the line quickly and with a minimal amount of effort.

Remember, you are not stuck with the mind you have. You are shaping the mind you will have next.

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