Thought Curiosity: Why Mindset Matters More Than You Think

As food bloggers, we spend hours perfecting recipes, styling food photos, optimizing blog posts, and building our brands. But what if the most powerful ingredient for your success isn’t a plugin or productivity hack—but your thoughts?

Thought work is the practice of becoming aware of your thoughts and learning how to guide them in ways that serve your goals. It’s not just a feel-good idea. It’s the foundation of everything you create in your business.

Your Brain Is the Kitchen, Your Thoughts Are the Recipes

Think of your brain like a kitchen. It's full of tools, ingredients, and potential. Thoughts are the recipes you run in that kitchen. If you want to bake a cake (build a profitable food blog), you need the right recipe (thoughts).

But what if you've been handed old recipes that no longer serve you? Maybe you were told as a child that "it's rude to self-promote," or that "you have to work hard to earn every penny." These "recipes" came from parents, teachers, society, religion, and/or social groups and they run deep. In fact, most of us have never questioned our recipes. We just assume that they’re facts.

Now, as an adult blogger trying to grow your income, those same thoughts are still running quietly in the background, potentially sabotaging your progress. Your brain, like a loyal sous chef, keeps repeating those recipes, not realizing it's time to create a new and better recipe.

Your Recipe Box

There’s a place in your brain that stores your thoughts. Let’s call it your Recipe Box. Each time you think a thought, a version of that thought gets stored in your Recipe Box. Over time, that box gets fuller and you become more confident in the truth of those thoughts.

Let’s say for example that you’ve struggled with the technology for your website. This means that you have a recipe in your recipe box about how difficult technology can be. You may even have an entire file full of recipes about your technology woes. Imagine sitting down to work on your next tech-related project as you sort through all of your “I’m not tech savvy” thoughts. Can you see how this would slow you down?

The good news? Just like a blog post, you can update your recipes at any time. Here’s a plan to help you do this.

Step 1: Recognize the Thought

The first step in thought work is awareness. Start by observing your thoughts, especially the ones that come up when you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or discouraged.

Ask yourself: What am I thinking right now? Write it down without editing or judging. This simple act shines a light on the mental scripts running your show.

Step 2: Get Curious (Not Critical)

Once you recognize a thought, the next step is curiosity. This is where transformation begins.

Instead of judging your thoughts (“I shouldn’t think that”), get curious: Where did this thought come from? Is it helping me create the results I want? Is it even true?

Let’s say you catch yourself thinking, "No one will ever pay me to blog full-time." Instead of pushing that thought away or beating yourself up, get curious: Who told you that? Is there evidence to the contrary? Would you want to believe something different?

Curiosity opens the door to change. Judgment slams it shut.

Thought Work Is a Growth Tool

This is not about thinking positive thoughts all the time. It’s about thinking helpful thoughts - thoughts that align with the version of you who’s building a successful, profitable blog.

The more you practice, the easier it becomes to spot unhelpful thoughts, question them, and replace them with new ones that empower you.

Like swapping a bland recipe for one that lights up your taste buds, thought work lets you choose the mental ingredients that nourish your goals.

Ready to Rewire Your Mind for Success?

You don't have to stay stuck with old mental recipes that aren't serving your blogging journey. Thought work is a powerful tool that helps you upgrade your mindset, create clarity, and take aligned action.

If you're ready to do the deep work that creates real, lasting change in your business, book a free discovery call today. We'll explore where your thoughts may be holding you back and how to rewire your brain for success.