Over the past few weeks, we’ve identified our old (or still current) thoughts, toyed with rephrasing them more positively, and explored possibilities by using visualization and imagination.

As kids we called it “playing pretend,” and it’s super powerful. But here’s the rub: by the time we’re adults, we just don’t buy it. Logic overrides our dream world, and we shut our fantasies down.

Especially if we’ve believed something for our entire lives, it can feel damn near impossible to imagine not believing it. How in the world can we reverse our thinking?

Well, lucky for us—the same thing that allowed the poison to spread also allows the antidote: REPETITION.

To believe new things, you must practice new thoughts. Only rehearsal will overcome your brain’s resistance to changing deeply-ingrained belief structures.

Basically, the blueprint is:

1. Decide what you want to believe by visualizing it.

2. Create the sentence.

3. Accept it as true.

4. Practice and repeat.

At first it will feel very awkward. Practicing new thoughts is a leap into a new way of thinking, feeling, and acting. It’s simply a new way of being, and you can embrace this new you by living as if you already believe the new thought.

Visualize yourself believing the new thought to get the result you want. Think about what you will be thinking, feeling, and doing. If it helps, pretend you’re in an acting role.

Then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse some more. FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT, BABE!