It has been stated, "The typical person has as many as 60,000 thoughts in a single day." The interesting part is most of them are recurring from the previous day and therefore unnecessary.
Here are two simple questions to ask yourself and supplementary comments from a meditative viewpoint:
Can you rationalize why you continue to think about the same things day after day?
Most people simply attempt to accomplish too much in a single day. Therefore, they move on to the next day without putting closure to the previous day. They make their to-do-lists and expect the world to evolve around that list to suit their needs for the day.
However, no matter how structured and focused a to-do-list is, unexpected challenges have a tendency to arise. When that happens the list simply goes out the window and nothing on it is accomplished. Most people then focus on all the things they won't get done on their lists and carry them over to the next days list. This of course causes self imposed stress, frustration and adds to cluttered thinking.
Try ending your day with closure - by simply accepting what is – then you will see miraculous transitions. Each day is a new beginning. When acceptance becomes the normal flow in the day, the minds stories are cut off before they develop into full blown screen plays. If you can learn to accept that each occurrence in a day is happening exactly as it is meant to happen, challenges will have less impact on you and you will spend less time thinking about them as problems.
At the end of each day attempt to sit still and meditate for a few moments. Then make a small list (six items max), based upon what is really important for the next day. Then start each morning by meditating before your typical life-situation begins. A short meditation in the morning provides an energy increase that goes a long way throughout the day. By starting out feeling refreshed and conscious of the present moment it allows the experiences of life to evolve at a natural pace throughout the day.
What would happen if you could actual purge those recurring thoughts from you sub-conscious mind?
Some would say it's impossible to eliminate thought and consider meditation a waste of time. If that's your opinion – wonderful – have a great day. Just know the ego will come up with many excuses to hold you prisoner in thought, especially recurring thoughts. Therefore, if you are determined to continue your days with thoughts from previous days enjoy the typical daily cycle.
However, if you would like to purge recurring thoughts from your mind and start the day out feeling refreshed, consider at least attempting to sit still for a few moments. Close your eyes take a couple deep breaths and focus on the one thing you love to do more than anything else. Feel the experience of being consumed by that one activity. Did it bring a smile to your face and "just for a moment," were you free of other recurring thoughts? Thoughts can be wonderful, but when it's the same ones day in and day out, then they build into egoic dramatic stories.
Meditation is about awareness in each present moment and reconnecting with your higher self. Through the practice of daily meditation, you can quickly learn to simply dismiss stories and return to a natural state of peace. Consider taking a chance on meditation today, you really have nothing to loose – that is, other than unnecessary recurring thought patterns.