You Can’t Change What You Don’t See
You can’t change what you don’t see—and most of what’s shaping your experience is buried. Like a gardener pulling weeds, or a basement you’ve been avoiding (hello, spiders), it’s the stuff below that needs our attention.
Auto-Thoughts and Beliefs don’t always live on the surface. They’re often just below awareness, shaping your life while staying hidden from view. That’s why we need Dig—not as a Marker but as a Tool.
Why Digging Matters
Imagine trying to dig a hole. You need four things:
- A tool (like a shovel)
- Power (your effort)
- Consistency
- Motivation
This tool focuses on consistency and motivation—the two forces that help us uncover buried Auto-Thoughts and Beliefs so we can make meaningful changes.
Even My Basement Was Hand-Dug
Speaking of digging… my basement was hand-dug.
Can you imagine that? Some determined soul, shovel by shovel, scraping out space beneath an existing home. And like any basement, it’s not always a place I’m eager to visit.
Sometimes I avoid going down there for weeks. When I finally descend, I find cobwebs, forgotten laundry, maybe a mouse or two. It’s a little musty. A little unnerving. And a whole lot of “Ugh, why did I wait so long?”
That’s exactly how our mental space can feel. When we don’t check in regularly—don’t do the inner digging—the emotional clutter builds up. We anticipate the worst. We start avoiding it entirely.
But a funny thing happens when we dig just a little each day:
The space stays manageable.
The fear softens.
The whole thing starts to feel familiar—even friendly.
Journaling = Your Shovel
To use Dig as a Tool, begin with journaling:
3–5 minutes each morning, before the day rushes in
7–10 minutes each evening, for reflection
Or any 10–15 minute window that works
Track what shows up: thoughts, patterns, reactions. The more consistent you are, the more power you build. Resistance softens. Insights emerge.
Prompts marked with the watering can symbol help you journal what’s growing—or what needs pulling.
When I Started to Dig
When I was diagnosed with cancer, something inside me knew: I needed to dig. I hadn’t realized how loud my internal cobwebs had become. Thoughts like “It’s safer to be silent” were still directing the show from behind the scenes.
These weren’t just present-day preferences—they were long-buried beliefs, planted when I was too young to question them.
Talk about motivation.
That moment was a turning point. But here’s what I want to say to you: Don’t wait for urgency to force your hand.
In my view, cancer was my soul’s desire to grow—spoken in the strongest possible language. If we can learn to listen earlier, to dig a little bit every day, we may not need the shout. The whisper might be enough.
You might remember from the Consequences Marker: I used to get irritated when others took up space with their voices. That was a clue. Following that irritation down through the soil helped me unearth a story that had silently shaped my entire way of being.
Weeds, Seeds, and Mental Gardening
Like any room in the house, the part of your mind holding your beliefs and stories works better when it’s clean and functional. Imagine trying to cook dinner with a pile of old resentments between the stove and sink. Doesn’t work.
On the farm, I’d often head out to grab one weed… and end up weeding for hours. It was almost meditative. That’s what it’s like now when I journal. One buried thought leads to another, and before I know it, I’m clearing space.
Ask yourself:
- How can I more regularly dig into my own mental garden?
- What would make it more enjoyable?
- Do you have another practice (gardening, writing, organizing) that gives you that same rhythm? Could you borrow from that routine?
Not So Fast—Don’t Toss Every Story
Not every negative thought needs to be thrown out. Some stories are worth keeping close—at least for a while.
That silence story of mine? I’ve kept it around. It still informs the areas where I struggle. I can pull it apart again when needed. If I’d thrown it out too fast, I might’ve missed some vital insight.
Try this:
Put a red tag on the story that does the most harm. That one, we’ll work with.
Then, create a “keep for now” pile. Stories you’re unsure about. Let them show you more, over time.
Closing Encouragement
You’re the person behind the shovel. The tool is journaling. The power is already in you. Add consistency and curiosity, and what once felt buried becomes the beginning of something new.
Looking for connected patterns? These Elements go hand-in-hand with Dig:
- Auto-Thoughts — What pops up first, sometimes without your permission.
- Beliefs — The long-held stories that shape your world.
- Consequences — What gets created when you don’t notice the other two.
Ready to Dig? Start with the Worksheet
You don’t need to do this all in your head. That’s what the Dig Worksheet is for—your place to track thoughts, tag stories, and keep what’s still unfolding.
Take a few minutes to fill it out today, and see what shows up when you give your mind space to speak.
