I am in charge of my mind: Choosing responses, not reactions

CREATED BY DAVE CORDLE Published: 16/10/2025 @ 09:01AM #IAmInChargeOfMyMind #MindsetMatters #EmotionalIntelligence #PauseAndChoose #ResilienceAtWork #CalmUnderPressure

Here's how to make being in charge of your own mind practical. You'll turn emotions into data, pause with intent, and choose wiser actions. Results follow at work, school, and at home ...

I am in charge of my mind, Thoughts flow like a river, Controlled by my will

You are not a passenger in your own head, and saying "I am in charge of my mind" is the first step to proving it in real time. You already know the split-second surge when someone presses a button and causes a knee-jerk reaction within you. The biology is fast, but it's brief; what you do next is the part you control.

You can let the reflex drive you, or you can treat the feeling
as data and choose your next move with intent!

You don't need hours of meditation to build this muscle. You need a small gap between stimulus and response. Count to ten if that's your style, or simply breathe and ask, "What outcome do I want here?" That tiny question shifts you from a knee-jerk reaction to deliberate, thoughtful action.

You'll notice that 'blaming language' hands away your power. When you say, "You make me so angry!", you lock yourself into waiting for someone else to change before you can feel better. Replace it with, "I notice I'm angry; what's useful here?" When you quietly repeat the phrase, "I am in charge of my mind", your attention pivots to options, not obstacles.

You'll get better results if you generate at least three possible responses before you act:

• Your first is usually the habitual one,
• The second is often just a tidier version of the first,
• The third is where creativity begins.

Choose the response that aligns with the outcome you want, not the emotion you started with.

You can apply this when work turns messy. Redundancy, reorganisation, or a role that no longer fits can push you into rumination. And you can use it at school or in study too if a teacher gets under your skin, your brain stops learning and starts defending. You can even use it at home when routines fray. The bedtime stand-off, the kitchen debate, the sibling squabble - these often cause knee-jerk reactions from previous patterns.

If you always arrive with frustration, you'll always leave with more. Walk in with a calmer state, a clear boundary, and one practical next step; watch the system adjust.

You're allowed to seek support while you practise, and I'm here to help you as a career coach. Or you can talk it out with someone you trust, or even write a quick line in a notebook: what happened, what you felt, what you chose, what you'll do next time.

That simple loop trains your brain to expect options!

You can make this your signature move: pause, reframe, choose, act. Say it in your head when it matters. Say it when it's quiet so it's ready when it's loud. And keep saying I am in charge of my mind until the evidence in your day makes the statement obvious.

No more knee-jerk reactions, because you are now in charge of your mind.

Until next time ...

DAVE CORDLE
Career Development Professional

07941 690 391

www.davecordle.co.uk / www.linkedin.com/in/davecordle

Everything you need for your career:  www.davecordle.co.uk/basecamp

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About Dave Cordle ...
I began my professional life training as a cartographer with the Directorate of Overseas Surveys, a department of the British government. I made maps of places such as Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Sudan and the British Virgin Islands. It was a fascinating time, being involved in planning the flights for aerial photography, interpreting the photographs and eventually producing the plates for the different layers of the final map. It was during my latter years as a cartographer and my career in computing that I undertook bigger mountaineering expeditions to the Andes, the Himalayas, the Tien Shan and the Caucasus. At that time I also held various leadership roles in scouting. I coached and trained young people successfully leading them to develop themselves and embrace new experiences. So that’s where my passion comes from to help young people learn the strategies for success that I share with my business and career clients. My journey in personal professional development and coaching has been amazing, and will continue to be so: it’s why I’m here, it’s my big passion. It’s what has informed my vision and mission. However unlikely your dream might seem, if you keep taking steps towards it, even small steps, you may well just surprise yourself.

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