Book SummarySoundtracks, by Jon Acuff

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Soundtracks

Published in 2021 by speaker and best-selling author Jon Acuff, Soundtracks offers strategies to help you take control of your thoughts. Acuff argues that while overthinking tends to undermine your productivity and self-esteem, you can harness the power of overthinking and use it to work toward your goals.

According to Acuff, to take control of your thoughts, you’ll need to interrupt negative thoughts, replace them with positive ones, and repeat those positive thoughts until you believe them, and they become patterns. Acuff refers to these recurring thought patterns as “soundtracks” and argues that by switching from negative soundtracks to positive ones, you’ll be able to motivate yourself more effectively.

(Shortform note: Acuff refers to all repeated thoughts as soundtracks,...

Soundtracks Summary Step 1: Interrupt Negative Overthinking

To begin taking control of your thoughts, Acuff argues that you must first interrupt negative thoughts to prevent overthinking. Overthinking occurs when your negative thoughts are so persistent that they begin to distract and discourage you. Over time, overthinking leads you to believe that any action you take will result in failure, so you avoid going after your dreams.

For example, suppose that your lifelong dream is to become a first-rate sushi chef, but because you lack confidence in your skills, you’re convinced you’ll never get a foot in the door. Nevertheless, you apply to a few restaurants, and to your surprise, your top choice offers you a trainee position. In the days before your first shift, you can’t stop imagining the embarrassment when the staff realizes you have no idea what you’re doing. You get so anxious about it that you decide not to go in at all, and the opportunity passes you by.

(Shortform note: While overthinking on its own isn’t a mental illness, overthinking can be a symptom of anxiety disorders. If you find that you still struggle with overthinking no matter how closely you...

Soundtracks Summary Step 2: Replace Negative Thoughts With Positive Ones

Once you’ve managed to interrupt your negative thoughts, Acuff recommends that you replace them with positive thoughts that encourage you to take action toward your goals.

(Shortform note: In addition to motivating you to pursue your goals, positive thinking also has health benefits. A positive emotional state correlates with a longer life expectancy and a lower risk of heart disease. By pursuing Acuff’s strategies for positive thinking, you can increase your productivity and improve your health at the same time.)

Strategies for Choosing Positive Thoughts

To maximize the power of positive overthinking, choose positive thoughts that relate directly to your goals. As Acuff writes, choosing thoughts that pertain to your goals helps empower you to perform better in the most important situations in your life.

For example, suppose you have an upcoming presentation at work that you’re worried about. Thinking generally positive thoughts about work is good, but thinking more specifically about the presentation is better. If you spend the week beforehand reminding yourself that you’re a well-prepared and skillful...

Soundtracks Summary Step 3: Repeat Positive Thoughts Until They Become Patterns

Once you’ve settled on new positive thoughts, the final step is to repeat them until you internalize them. By repeating your positive thoughts until they stick, you’ll avoid returning to old negative thoughts and becoming demotivated.

(Shortform note: In addition to helping you stay motivated, repetition can help you learn more effectively. Studies have shown that when you repeat an action, you learn more quickly and experience more positive feelings. In addition to the motivational effects Acuff describes, repeating positive thoughts and coupling them with action can help you acquire skills and build confidence at the same time.)

To demonstrate how repeating positive affirmations can impact your life, Acuff hired researcher Mike Peasley to measure the effectiveness of Acuff’s approach. In the study, participants who repeated positive phrases overwhelmingly felt that doing so helped them work toward their goals.

(Shortform note: While Acuff frequently cites the study conducted by Peasley as evidence for the effectiveness of his approach, it’s important to note that Peasley and Acuff never publicly published...

Shortform Exercise: Generate Positive Thoughts

Learn to interrupt negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.

Reflect on a stressful situation in your life. What thoughts about yourself and the situation come to mind? Choose a particularly negative thought and write it down below. For example, suppose you’re a basketball player, and you performed poorly in your team’s most recent game, which resulted in a loss. You might find yourself thinking that you’re just not good enough to help your team make it to the playoffs.