Soundtracks by Jon Acuff

Soundtracks was exactly the book I needed at the time I read it. In it, Jon Acuff discusses “soundtracks” – the self-talk – that play over and over in our heads. Some are productive, most aren’t. And until we can break free of the prisons we’ve created in our minds, little progress can be made.

Jon Acuff is funny, too, so the book is an enjoyable read. If you are stuck because of what you are telling yourself, this is one you should check out.

You can buy Soundtracks here…

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Notes:

If your day is spent overthinking broken soundtracks, your thoughts can be your worst foe, holding you back from ever taking action on all the things you want in life. p. 21

Most of what we’d like to do that we don’t is a result of a lie or misrepresentation of reality that we create in our own minds.

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“What if someone finds out I don’t really know what I’m doing?”

“Where is this even going?”

“What’s the point if I don’t have a perfect plan to grow it?”

Those three soundtracks and a thousand more knocked me off the internet for seven straight years. I didn’t start another blog until 2008. Who knows how much further I’d be if I’d spent those seven years growing my audience and content? p. 23

Too often we question ourselves but never give honest answers. If we did, perhaps we’d realize that these questions are mere fear-induced distractions rather than legitimate lines of questioning.

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Think of all the opportunities and adventures you’ll miss out on if broken soundtracks are in charge of your actions. p. 27

If you’re like me, you can probably come up with a dozen examples of things you’ve missed out on because you talked yourself out of them before the train even left the station.

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There are three actions to change your thoughts from a super problem into a superpower:

1. Retire your broken soundtracks
2. Replace them with new ones
3. Repeat them until they’re as automatic as the old ones p. 35

The formula. Now we have to put in the work.

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One of the greatest mistakes you can make in life is assuming all your thoughts are true. p. 42

The voice we hear most is the one in our own heads, so diligently evaluating which soundtracks are true and which are lies is critical.

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Is the soundtrack you’re listening to right now, the one that’s on repeat, helpful? Does it move you forward or keep you stuck? Does it lead to a decision or limit a decision? Does it generate action or apathy? p. 49

Even if a negative soundtrack has some amount of validity, there is a high probability that it is still unhelpful. For example, maybe you gave a presentation once that didn’t go well. Is telling yourself that you are a terrible public speaker going to be helpful or harmful the next time you have to get up and present something?

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When you’ve got broken soundtracks firing shots at you all day, no wonder you get stuck. Your “team of one” isn’t a safe place for growth or innovation. p. 53

I spend nearly all of my working day alone. My inability to control my internal dialogue can have massive consequences in productivity and general well-being. A “team of one” needs a leader as much as any other team, and it is up to me to be my own coach and motivator.

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If you’re still having trouble deciphering whether a soundtrack is kind, an easy way to check is to ask yourself, “If I repeatedly told a friend this, would they still want to be my friend?” p. 59

The answer to this question is both clarifying and nearly always a resounding “no” for most of my soundtracks.

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You don’t think your way out of overthinking. You act your way out. You retire broken soundtracks. You replace them with new ones. You repeat those so often they become as automatic as the old ones. Those are all actions. p. 89

One of my new mantras that I write down every morning is “I take action to overcome doubt” – a direct result of this observation.

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If action eliminates overthinking, then inaction breeds it. p. 99

The best way to stay stuck is to do nothing.

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Tom [Ziglar] said, “When I was sixteen, I applied for a job at the Athlete’s Foot. Before I went, I told my dad why they would never hire me. I was just sixteen, I’d never had a job, etc. Dad looked at me and said, ‘Wait a second. You’ve had sixteen years of hard work, discipline, honesty, character and integrity.’”… “He said, ‘When they ask you why you’re qualified for the job, that’s what you tell them.’ Of course I got the job.” p. 141

We are all capable of more than we ever tell ourselves, and oftentimes it isn’t even capability that is necessary for the task at hand. It is a new perspective and a bit of character that gets us across the finish line.

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…what struck me most was a quote from runner Steve Prefontaine that Victore plastered across the back cover in massive block letters. It said, “Somebody may beat me, but they’re going to have to bleed to do it.”  p. 167

Now that is a soundtrack worthy of instilling in myself and putting on repeat.

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A pocket jury is a collection of broken soundtracks that judge your life whenever you dare to be more than you currently are. p. 171

We collect bad soundtracks from our experiences, friends, family and even strangers. When we combine them, we put ourselves on trial, and on the defensive. In my experience, this usually happens when we are trying to make a massive, positive change in our lives.