1 Keep in mind only those thoughts that improve your present/future situations. 
   (Even negative thoughts can contribute in improving the situation.)

2 Recognize the cyclic thought pattern (an unending loop) and remove it.  
   Q: ''How does one do this?''
   A:   By introducing new thought patterns and by stopping the rehearsal of old repetitive ones. 
   A:   Or wear a rubber band around your wrist, and when you catch yourself in a cyclic thought pattern, 
        snap the rubber band against your wrist. This works for lots of people!

3 Think of solutions.

4 SixThinkingHats

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Maybe we should rename this to ''MechanicalThinking..?'' 
 Q: Why rename, If such a page is needed, it can be created?
 A:
 Q: ''Is 4 simply a refinement of 3?'' 
 A:   No, 3 could include 4, but it probably does not.

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I find this topic too fuzzy for my tastes. See FuzzyThinking

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What I notice in the original proposition is
* It assumes more control over thought than most people have.
* It assumes more control over thought than most people have.
* Self imposed aversion therapy.  "Don't try this at home."
* Attempts to use "devices" to "control" thought.

Well, I can't say that those tricks won't work for some, but I see a different approach.

I would divide this into two parts:
* Keeping track of thought threads and thought state
** This requires mechanical tools (notebooks, index cards, PDAs, computer-based organizers, etc).
* Aligning actions to objectives -- some would say goal orientation.
** This will probably require at least a piece of paper, on up to the things listed above.

The more you divest yourself of "remembering" things (get them out of your head) and record them in an easily retrieved way, the more of your head will be available for work.

The better you are at making what you do align with longer term objectives, the less effort will be involved in getting there, and the less distracted you'll be along the way.

''At a high level, this is very much what GettingThingsDone suggests.  I've been working it for about a month now and refining it to fit my situation.  I could probably follow the book a lot more closely than I do, but even so, it has improved my ability to get things done greatly, organize my thoughts, and move towards long-term goals.  AnyXisBetterThanNone in this case, I guess.'' -- EvanDeaubl
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One might also try ThinkingOutLoud -- DonaldNoyes 20071008
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CategoryThinkingPatterns