Four Ways to Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind

As I shared in this article, there are really only two primary ways to change. If we are hit with a life event that consumes us at an emotional level, we react to it and change. Or, if we proactively make a decision to change and work on ourselves and through consistent, spaced repetition of a new ideal, we change more gradually.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle

I prefer the proactive approach. Why? Because we are in charge of it. We decide, on our own terms, to put our creative power and will to work for us. We take ownership of the change and so can feel darn proud of it.

So, what is this spaced repetition?

It is the methodical sending of messages from the conscious mind to the subconscious mind so that we begin to believe new things about ourselves and our capabilities. These new beliefs will show in the actions we take.

Here are four ways to reprogram the subconscious through spaced repetition:

Vision

A vision is simply a moment or a day in your life when you are doing, being, and having your best. It is the way you would like to live. In my experience, it is best to write out a vision in the present tense and incorporate as many senses as you can. What are you seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling in the moment portrayed in your vision?

The key to putting a good vision to work is reading it daily. That is best done in a relaxed setting. I enjoy reading my vision at 5:20 in the morning, after pouring my cup of coffee.

Here is a one-page tip sheet that may help you in putting your vision to work for you.

Autosuggestion

Your ability to use the principle of autosuggestion will depend, very largely, upon your capacity to concentrate upon a given desire until that desire becomes a burning obsession. Napoleon Hill

Now, before you run away at just the mention of this word, hear me out. An affirmation is just a short statement about yourself that you would like to embrace. I love affirmations because they can be performed just about anywhere and anytime. Here are some examples of quick affirmations:

• I am flexible and flowing. I easily adapt to anything that comes my way.
• I attract an abundance of money into my life.
• I love to exercise. I feel my body becoming stronger every day.

Most of us engage in self-talk all the time anyway. Why not engage in positive self-talk?

Gratitude

For me, gratitude is an attitude. I am grateful every day for people spending a portion of their day with me. Time is our most important asset. Be grateful when people allocate some of that precious resource to you. Our attitudes are composites of our feelings, actions, and emotions. And the best way that I have found to manipulate my attitude and ensure that it is positive and constructive is to practice gratitude. Start and end your day with gratitude, and then report back to me in thirty days. I bet it will work for you.

Journaling

Taking a few minutes each day to write or draw in a journal. Doing this helps to turn visions, affirmations, and gratitude into habits. Each morning, write down a few things that you are grateful for, what would make your day great, and an affirmation or two. That is is a great way to kick start your day. End your day by recapping the day, celebrating a few small wins, and identifying one or two things that you can improve on. Doing that gets your subconscious rolling and working on the next day while you sleep.

The key to success with these four ideas is turning them into habits. But I suggest that you avoid telling yourself directly that you need to form a new habit. Instead, commit to practicing these ideas for five days. Come on. You know you can do it for that long. See where you are after the five days. At that point, let your intuition tell you whether you should try for another five days. My guess is that your inner voice will tell you to go for it.

What are your thoughts about this spaced-repetition approach to reprogramming your subconscious? Have you put any of these ideas to use in your life? Will you commit to trying them? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

Here is a cheatsheet you can use to develop your vision.

Here is a tip sheet on becoming a morning person.

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Thanks for reading this article. I love to share my life experiences with those who want to follow along. I am always on the hunt for growth and I love to share the good, bad and the ugly of this ongoing pursuit. So, join in for the ride if you are interested.

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