How Do I Begin to Change? The Triple AAA Plan!
This blog post is a transcript of Episode 4 from the Day One of Sobriety Podcast.
The Triple AAA Plan
The past three blog posts have shared how mind renewal can absolutely break any destructive choices or habits that have become your current “MO.” You might be thinking, “That’s great for Brenda, but where do I begin?” That’s a great question and the foundation for this blog. I call it the Triple AAA Plan – and I don’t mean the American Automobile Association. But just as AAA rescues you when your car breaks down, this Triple AAA Plan sets the foundation that rescues you from your toxic thinking.
The AAA Plan is a 3-step framework for change. Awareness of a situation or problem in the first step, followed by action to address it. Finally, accountability ensures that progress is made, and adjustments happen as needed to keep you on track. That’s actually 4 A’s, but Triple A rolls off the tongue better than Quadruple A!
Step 1 → Awareness
Step 2 → Action
Step 3 → Accountability
Let me give you a real-life example of this plan. When it came time for my husband and I to buy our first home, we needed to save up for a down payment. We could absolutely swing the mortgage – in fact it would be less than our current monthly rent, but we had no savings. I’m sure many of you can relate.
In the Awareness step we needed to take a hard look at our money. How much was coming in, and how much was going out. And not just how much was going out, but how was it being spent. We tracked every penny to gather awareness of all of our spending habits.
I think that’s when I realized I might have a shoe problem. I know there are women . . . .and men out there who can relate! Renowned DJ and music producer DJ Khaled (KA-LED) has over 10,000 pairs of sneakers! I might desire the same shoe in three colors, but when I go to my husband’s garage I find seven different versions of the same tool. . . . .I’m just saying!
Moving on. . . . .
In the Action step we had to decide what spending was truly necessary. Did I really need more shoes? Absolutely not. We took a hard look at our wants vs. needs, including eating out, entertainment, etc. We set up a budget and determined an amount we could save each month. We’d have our down payment in two years – if we stuck to it! Side note – if you’ve never heard Dave Ramsey speak on money matters – He’s really worth checking out.
Finally, accountability. I think this is the hardest step. We’d have our down payment in two years – if we stuck to it! Our collective success relied on the actions of two people working the plan with integrity and consistency. And of course adjustments needed to be made for such things as unexpected car repairs or a surprise bonus check or tax refund.
It wasn’t going to happen quickly, BUT it would happen and it was possible! There were absolutely times when we wavered from the plan. It helped that we were both committed to saving for our home and pushed each other through the discouragement. We got there by working on the action plan and not giving up.
Now let’s begin to relate the Triple AAA Plan to mind renewal and how it can break destructive habits.
Building Awareness in the Mind Renewal Process
You show up in life in four ways → through your emotions, behaviors, bodily sensations, and perspectives. Dr. Caroline Leaf, leading neuroscientist and creator of the life-changing Neurocycle Program, describes these as your four warning signals.
I broke this information down in a previous blog post, Is Your Mind a Mental Mess? The Four Warning Signals You Need to Know. Give it a read for a deeper understanding of each of these signals.
If you have destructive choices or patterns of behavior that you’d like to change, you first need to take a look at EXACTLY what it is you are doing. How are you showing up with your emotions, behaviors, bodily sensations, and perspectives?
ChapGPT has become a popular tool. Mostly out of curiosity I asked ChatGPT “How do I get control over my emotions, behaviors, bodily sensations, and perspectives. In under 3 seconds, AI spit back a four-step plan with links to self-monitoring tools, habit tracker apps, and exercise plans. The answer ended with this? Would you like a custom plan for your current challenges or routines? I can help build you one!
There’s nothing wrong with asking for support or looking outward for help and resources. There’s certainly no lack of information online, and there’s an abundance of experts on almost everything.
The problem is when it comes to building awareness about Y-O-U and your habits, you need to look inward for guidance, not outward. Instead of ChatGPT, you need ChatFSH. You need a heart to heart connection and conversation with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You need to take a hard and honest look at your emotions, behaviors, bodily sensations, and perspectives; AND you need to hear truth and wisdom spoken by the Holy Spirit. You see, it’s hard to be completely honest with ourselves. We have a tendency to soft-pedal areas that make us feel shame or embarrassment.
That’s why I love Psalm 139. It’s titled “You Know All About Me,” and it’s a beautiful poetic song from King David to His Creator. Verses 23-24 say this:
God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart.
Examine me through and through;
find out everything that may be hidden within me.
Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares.
See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on,
and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way—
the path that brings me back to you.
Not sure how to pray and ask God to help you build an awareness of how you’re showing up? Start reading Psalm 139 aloud daily and let the truth of God’s love and in-depth knowledge of you fill you with hope and encouragement.
As a newer Christian I remember hearing it said that God is omnipotent, omniscient (aam nish int), and omnipresent. I was like, “omni-what?“ “Omni” is a prefix and adds meaning to a word. Just like the prefixes “bi” means 2, and “pre” means before, “omni” means all or every.
Our God is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), and all present (omnipresent). Taken together this means you are the child of a loving Father that never sleeps or slumbers, is perfect in all of His abilities, there isn’t a single thing He doesn’t know, and there is no one more powerful than Him.
And if knowing that wasn’t already enough, the truth is He loves you so completely that He wants to lead you on your mind renewal journey and is just waiting for you to ask for His help.
Psalm 139 expresses the infinite knowledge of God, and when you pray verses 23-24, you invite God to join you on the journey; to guide and instruct you, because He knows you better than you know yourself.
Taking Action in the Mind Renewal Process
Once you’ve gathered the data on your emotions, behaviors, bodily sensations, and perspectives, you next put together an action plan to start changing the qualities you find undesirable.
In the action plan, however, you won’t target a specific signal. Instead, you must target the thoughts that are the driving force of these signals. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so does he become.” Your inner thoughts and beliefs directly influence your outward behavior and character.
Showing up in undesirable ways, making destructive choices, or engaging in toxic habits are a result of toxic thought patterns that have been wired into your brain. I’ve been providing mind renewal and spiritual coaching since 2022, and I’ve heard hundreds of personal stories of how hurts, disappointments, and painful experiences have wired in toxic and destructive thought patterns. In almost every testimony, the toxic thought patterns showed lack of self-love & acceptance, and a lack of value and worth.
Let’s go back to Psalm 139, verses 13-16. The NLT says,
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
Next, let’s look at Jeremiah 29:11-14 in The Passion Translation. Here’s what Yahweh says to you:
11 “I know all about the marvelous destiny I have in store for you, a future planned out in detail. My intention is not to harm you
but to surround you with peace and prosperity and to give you a beautiful future, glistening with hope.
12 When you call on me and come to me in prayer, I will listen to your every word.
13 If you reach out to me, you will find me when you search for me with all your heart.
14 I will not disappoint you,” declares Yahweh. “All that you have lost, I will restore.
Remember, the action plan to renew your mind replaces toxic thinking with the truth of God’s Word. You commit to come out of agreement with the lies you’ve been believing and take hold of God’s truth.
The Psalms passage emphasizes that God’s knowledge and plan for you extends from the beginning of your existence. And in Jeremiah, God promises that He has a plan for your life and regardless of your current situation, He can work through it to prosper you and to give you hope. He hears you when you call to Him, and he promises you will find Him if you seek Him. He desires to restore you.
Remember ChatGPT asked if I wanted a custom plan for my current challenges and could even help build me one? Well ChatFSH has a custom plan already in place. It’s an 1800 page document called The Bible. Within its pages you find instructions for living and a blueprint for your life. The truth within this instruction manual will rewire toxic thinking.
When thinking is rewired and replaced with the truth of who you are in Christ, fear based emotions, behaviors, bodily sensations, and perspectives change to reflect love based responses.
I recommend two additional books to help with your action plan. Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book, Switch on Your Brain, provides the scientific research of neuroscience to support the mind renewal scriptures of Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:5. It also includes a 21 day brain detox plan.
The second resource is The Best of You: Break Free from Painful Patterns, Mend Your Past, and Discover Your True Self in God, by Dr. Alison Cook. This book puts into words the struggles that many people need to overcome and explains how different mindsets and patterns of behavior stem from childhood dysfunction or painful experiences.
Let’s wrap this up by applying the accountability step.
Being Accountable in the Mind Renewal Process
It took me two years to save up for a downpayment on my first home. There’s no quick fix in mind renewal either.
It takes time, but when you begin reading the Bible and setting time aside each day to pray and not only talk to God, but also sit and listen to what He has to say, God begins to change you from the inside out.
Very early on in my mind renewal journey I grabbed hold of God’s promises from Jeremiah 29:11 and used them to rewire my toxic thoughts. I attended church weekly and got involved in bible studies and special events.
I surrounded myself with other women I could confide in and who would pray for me when I was discouraged. I was honest and let them know that when I struggled I would likely isolate and pull back. If I missed church, they’d reach out to check on me.
A lot of my hurts and wrong thinking were tied to my childhood. I think I cried through every Mother’s Day and Father’s Day service for 3 years while God was healing me.
In the action step you have to stay surrendered and committed to change. Find others to help keep you accountable and who will love you through the pain. A spiritual coach and mentor can also provide invaluable guidance and support.
I’ll wrap up today’s episode with this beautiful promise found in Philippians 1:6. It says: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. God will be faithful.
This post introduced you to the Triple AAA framework for change. You can count on future episodes of the Day One of Sobriety podcast to provide you with the tools and strategies for all three steps of this mind renewal plan. Coming up in Episode 5 I’ll teach you how to use the 3:1 Ratio tool to calm fear and doubt. Follow the podcast and never miss a new release!
Next Steps
I invite you to head over to our Mind Renewal Solution Made Simple Facebook group where you’ll find resources and tips geared at helping you apply the information in each post. For Episode 4 you’ll find a beautiful printable version of Psalm 139. If you don’t like the way you are showing up in life, don’t stay stuck. Take a step forward into God’s promises for your future. You can wire out whatever you’ve wired in.
