Positive Replacement Theory (A Truby Tip about Mindset)

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Last Updated on March 10, 2025 by Bill Truby

Struggling to break bad habits, fix workplace issues, or improve team dynamics? The secret isn’t fighting what you don’t want—it’s replacing it with what you do. A simple shift in focus can change everything. Here’s how…

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Direct Video Transcript:

Let me teach you something about my positive replacement theory—not positive reinforcement, positive replacement. And it’s a simple concept.

It simply means you are replacing what you don’t want with what you do want. And you’ll see this lesson in life often.

For example, I wrote something about how sometimes we just need to plant more grass rather than trying to focus on the weeds. Lawn companies have realized this as well, so they sell weed and feed. We need to take care of the problems, but we also need to replace them with a healthy lawn and feed that lawn.

In scripture, Paul was talking to the Philippians and said, “Whatsoever things are good and lovely and of good report, think on these things.” He was telling people to focus on what they want to think about, not what they don’t want to think about.

In meditation—though I don’t do that very well—I’ve learned that quieting your mind isn’t about simply emptying it, but rather putting something there to focus on, like the “ohm” sound, a phrase, or a mantra. When you focus on that, it eliminates everything else.

It’s such a simple concept, isn’t it? If you don’t want to think about a watermelon, you don’t keep saying, “I’m not going to think about a watermelon.” Why? Because every time you say that, you’re thinking about a watermelon. Instead, you think of grapes. When you focus on grapes, you’re not thinking about a watermelon.

I’ve seen this happen so many times in companies where they focus on eliminating problems rather than replacing them with something better. That approach is like playing whack-a-mole. You get one problem under control through strict enforcement, but it doesn’t change the systemic issue.

I’ve taught this principle over and over again, and it works. If you want teamwork, you do not focus on the symptoms of a lack of teamwork. You focus on building, implementing, and living the elements of high-performing teamwork. When you do that, the symptoms of a lack of teamwork disappear. The problems go away.

This principle is something I call the positive replacement theory. And you can use it in your own life.

What do you want to get rid of? If you want to lose weight, you don’t focus on being overweight. I like to make up words, but let’s call it “overweightedness.” You focus on what you want. When you focus on what you want, then your mind, soul, body, and spirit align around that.

Some spiritual beliefs suggest that if you focus on something strongly enough, long enough, or clearly enough, it will manifest in your life. And I think there’s some truth to that.

The point of this little training is simple. Obviously, you need to identify what you don’t want—but don’t focus on it. Focus on what you want.

I was working with a family-owned business recently, and they had dysfunctional family dynamics. They kept trying to fix each other through discipline, hashing out their issues in long meetings—but it wasn’t working. They hired me to help their business and family dynamics, and I applied this principle.

I said, “First, let’s agree that we all want the business to succeed.” They agreed.

“Next, let’s agree that when you’re working in the business, you fulfill a specific role—not the role of brother, father, or cousin. Your role is CFO, chief operations officer, project manager. And those roles must be separate from family dynamics. Do you agree?” They said yes.

Then we built a list of agreements that any corporation or business would establish for how those roles interact. That became the calibration point.

It wasn’t about fixing the family dynamics—it was about replacing them with high-performing team dynamics.

Use this principle in your personal life. Use it in your business. Use it with your team.

Focus on what you want, and that will eliminate what you don’t.

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