Reframe: Success depends on how many people you know.
Usual Frame: Your hard work will be rewarded.
Reframe: The illusion of hard work will be rewarded.
Usual Frame: Do what you are told.
Reframe: Do what you are NOT told but maybe someone should have.
Usual Frame: Learn what you need.
Reframe: Learn continuously, especially skills that work well together.
Usual Frame: A plan will either work or not
Reframe: Friction and incentives always work. We just don’t know how well until they are tested.
Usual Frame: Measure twice, cut once.
Reframe: Just start. See if you can figure it out as you go.
Usual Frame: School is boring but necessary.
Reframe: School is a competitive event. Game on.
Usual Frame: Compete against yourself and try to improve over time.
Reframe: Compete against others even if the others are unaware of the competition.
Usual frame: You did this wrong.
Reframe: Your other work is stronger.
Alternate: I think you can top that.
Alternate: I’m not sure it’s possible to do this better, but let’s find out.
Alternate: May I show you a shortcut/trick?
Alternate: Let me show you how some people do it.
Usual Frame: Tell people what they did wrong, so they avoid it next time.
Reframe: Tell people what they did well so they are motivated to continue improving.
Usual Frame: The universe is acting against me.
Reframe: The universe owes me.
Usual Frame: Luck is random and can’t be managed.
Reframe: You can go where there is more luck (more energy).
Usual Frame: I am unusually unlucky this happened to me.
Reframe: Everyone has problems. No exceptions.
Usual Frame: Things should be fair. (me)
Reframe: Life isn’t fair. (Mom)
Usual Frame: Fairness is a desirable social goal.
Reframe: Fairness is the enemy of success.
Usual Frame: Avoid mistakes in your art.
Reframe: Invite mistakes into your art and keep the “good ones.”
Usual Frame: I need to come up with a good idea.
Reframe: I need to release all my bad ideas as quickly as possible.
Usual Frame: You feel like a fraud. Everyone else is competent.
Reframe: You are learning fast. Look at all you learned!
Usual Frame: I feel like an impostor at my job.
Reframe: Everyone is an impostor.
Usual Frame: Your mood is determined by your internal thoughts.
Reframe: You can improve your mood by completing meaningful tasks.
Usual Frame: Whatever managers do is managing.
Reframe: If you are not measuring, you are not managing.
Usual Frame: Some art is good, and some is bad.
Reframe: If there is a market for the art, it is good art.
Usual Frame: Praise for your creation predicts you have a hit.
Reframe: Only action predicts a hit, not words. Watch for people to extend or modify your creation.
Usual Frame: I can’t think of anything to write.
Reframe 1: I’m in the wrong environment for writing.
Usual Frame: I have writer’s block.
Reframe 2: I’m trying to write at the wrong time of day.
Usual Frame: I can’t think of anything good to write.
Reframe 3: I can write something bad and fix it.
Mental Health Reframes
Usual Frame: I am my inner thoughts.
Reframe: I am what I do.
Usual Frame: Find yourself.
Reframe: Author yourself.
Usual Frame: Some people are good, and some are not.
Reframe: We’re all flawed, and we’re all good at different things.
Usual Frame: Art is entertainment.
Reframe: Art is a powerful, mind-altering drug.
Usual Frame: Your critics are evil monsters.
Reframe: Your critics are your mascots.
Usual Frame: Criticism feels like a dagger to your heart.
Reframe: Criticism is a chemical reaction in the skull of someone who isn’t in the room.
Usual Frame: You should do what I think you should do.
Reframe: Go eat fudge. (Spoken only in your mind.)
Usual Frame: Everyone is thinking about me.
Reframe: You are only a bit player in their movie.
Usual Frame: Social media is a form of entertainment.
Reframe: Social media is an addiction.
Usual Frame: An insult is damaging to my mental health.
Reframe: An insult is a confession that your accuser can’t refute your opinion and/or has personal problems of some sort.
Usual Frame: An insult hurts because it means someone dislikes or disrespects you.
Reframe: A stranger’s opinion of you—even if it gets published in The New York Times—is little more than their personal diary entry.
Usual Frame: Germs will harm me.
Reframe: Germs make me stronger.
Usual Frame: Coldness is pain and a signal I am in danger.
Reframe: Coldness makes me healthier and stronger.
Usual Frame: Death is a tragedy, and I need to feel bad about it.
Reframe: The deceased has no more problems. How did I make this about me?
Usual Frame: Death is a tragedy.
Reframe: It is an honor to help another pass.
Usual Frame: My feelings are the result of my situation.
Reframe: How I feel is my choice
Usual Frame: I hate someone who deserves it.
Reframe: Hate is nothing but punishing myself for the misdeeds of others.
Usual Frame: Hate and anger are toxic feelings you hope will wear off.
Reframe: Hate and anger are a superpower level of energy you can use for gain.
Usual Frame: Why can’t my problems go away?
Reframe: Everything has a right to exist, including this problem.
Usual Frame: Your ego is “you,” and it must be protected.
Reframe: Your ego is your enemy.
Usual Frame: Avoid embarrassment.
Reframe: Invite embarrassment and use it as a club to kill your ego.
Usual Frame: I am a priceless work of art that must be protected.
Reframe: I am a potato that is easily replaced.
Usual Frame: I worry something will go wrong.
Reframe: I’m curious what will happen.
Usual Frame: Worry about all potential bad outcomes.
Reframe: Control the heck out of things you can control. Accept all outcomes.
Usual Frame: History is important.
Reframe: History doesn’t exist.
Usual Frame: Reality is exactly what you see and feel.