UNDERSTAND AND TAKE CONTROL OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
The power of the mind is undeniable. Cultivating that complete certainty – that deep belief in yourself – requires understanding how to leverage subconscious mind programming.
WHAT IS THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND?
The subconscious is the part of our minds that makes decisions without our needing to actively think about them. It’s different from the conscious mind, which encompasses the thoughts we know we are having at any given moment. It’s also different from the unconscious mind, which holds past events and experiences that we don’t remember at all.
Learning to play an instrument is a good example of how the subconscious mind works. At first, you need to think about translating the sheet music and moving your fingers to play each note, but as you practice, you find you can pick up any song and play it.
The subconscious mind goes beyond learning new skills. It’s involved in information processing and affects everything we think, say and do. It stores our beliefs and values, determines our memories and monitors the information all around us, deciding what to send to the conscious mind and what to store for later. It affects every moment of our lives – and most of us don’t even know it.
So how long does it take to reprogram your subconscious mind? On average it takes about three to four weeks – but it could take longer. The answer will depend on how deeply ingrained the behavior is that you want to change, as well as your own limiting beliefs.
SHIFTING YOUR MINDSET
To learn how to reprogram your mind for success in the way Tony describes in the video, there are three steps you must take that will shift your mindset and point your focus in the right direction.
STEP 1: DECIDE
The first step you need to take is to gain absolute clarity on what it is you want. Learn how to stop overthinking and focus on your goals. What is your desired outcome? What does unlocking an extraordinary life look like to you? Clarity is power. The more thought you put into this, the more detail you lay out, and the stronger and more powerful your vision will become. This creates a subconscious mind map, giving your brain the tools necessary to turn that vision into reality.
Want to reprogram your mind? Consider an argument with your partner. When in a heated exchange with a loved one, we often lose track of the disagreement itself and focus on being heard – on getting the last word, on winning. You stop watching your tone and being gentle with your partner and begin treating them like an adversary. That’s a quick way to escalate the argument into something much worse.
Instead, stop yourself and ask, “Why am I arguing in the first place?” You aren’t fighting to fight; you are disagreeing about something and want a resolution. When you are distracted by winning, you lose track of the actual problem. Once you remember that, you can shift your focus back to resolving the original problem, effectively reprogramming your brain to use its resources and produce that outcome in that moment.
Subconscious reprogramming starts with deciding what you want – right now and in the future – and focusing on it. Give your brain direction. As Tony says, where focus goes, energy flows. What do you want physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually in your business and in your personal life? Make the decision that you are not willing to settle and that you are not willing to live the way you are living right now. Set your sights on what you want and begin reprogramming your brain.
STEP 2: COMMIT
After you decide what you want, the next step of subconscious reprogramming is committing. Rid your mind of fear and self-doubt. How do you do that? By committing to it and letting it drive you.
Fear is one of the biggest traps that keeps people from taking action. We all have fears – fear of rejection, fear of failure, success, pain or the unknown. If you do nothing, that fear will remain exactly where it is, blocking your path. You will not move, and you will always live in fear. You might not do any worse, but you also won’t do better. And that fear will always be present in the back of your mind, pushing you away from your goals. The lack of action gives the negativity time to poison your thoughts: “It’s a good thing I didn’t try. I never would have made it.” When allowed to spread through your subconscious mind, this fear-based negativity will seep into everything you think about yourself and everything you do.
The only way to deal with fear and reprogram your mind is to face it head-on. You must look it in the eye and take action in spite of it. Are you afraid of failure? Look at it this way: Failure is an education. If you do something and fail, you will know what doesn’t work. You’ll be able to take a more educated, informed approach next time. You’re better off than where you were before.
Reprogramming your brain means breaking through negative chatter like, “I can’t.” Think of it the same way you would build muscle at the gym. At first, it will seem difficult and maybe even taxing. But if you start small and do it every day, you will gradually become stronger. And before long, it will become an effortless habit.
Commit to yourself. Commit to overcoming the negativity. Commit to a better life. When you commit fully, cutting off any other possibility, you will push yourself to the next level and demand more of yourself than anyone else could ever expect. And that is the true power of subconscious mind programming.
STEP 3: RESOLVE
Once you have decided on your path and committed fully, take inventory of your situation. What are your current actions getting you? Direct your mind toward assessing what is working and what isn’t. Make the shifts. Resolve is about finding solutions to whatever may come your way.
A critical part of finding resolve and effectively reprogramming your brain is flexibility. Tunnel vision forces limits on you – you will miss out on opportunities and alternative routes that could lead to incredible benefits. Remember, you are never 100% in control. Think about it: has your life gone according to plan? Probably not. The path you take is never a straight line. And that’s why it’s vital to remain flexible along the way – learning from mistakes, embracing failure and using negativity as a driving force for change. As long as you are making progress, you are going in the right direction.
When you reprogram your mind to focus on resolve, you develop the ability to change your approach to problems as required. Not all obstacles, hurdles or circumstances are the same; each poses its own difficulties, and you can meet those difficulties head-on. True power comes from within, and reprogramming your brain conditions you for success. Frustration becomes a gift, because it means you are on the verge of a breakthrough. Failure becomes a lesson, counseling you on how to be better in the future. Any roadblock becomes an opportunity for you to pivot and find a new creative solution. That is the power of your mind’s dedication to resolve.
SIX TIPS ON HOW TO REPROGRAM YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS
Now that you’re in a powerful, determined state, it’s time to adopt positive habits that will reprogram your mind to have total certainty in itself.
1. ADOPT EMPOWERING BELIEFS
Limiting beliefs hold us back from what we want in life. They can be based on past results, negative events you’ve experienced or a flawed vision of your future. When you address these beliefs and challenge their accuracy, you can replace them with empowering beliefs to live by. What does this look like? It could be replacing “My parents were divorced, so it’s in my genetic code to not have a happy relationship,” to “I deserve a healthy relationship with someone I love.” When you change your self-talk, you change your world.
2. EMBRACE THE BEAUTY OF UNCERTAINTY
We are not in control of life – the only thing we can control is our actions and reactions. When we embrace this concept, we take back our power to shape our existence and reprogram our minds. Let go of the need for certainty and embrace the beauty of uncertainty. When we focus on choosing trust, giving without thinking about what we’re getting in return and living consciously, we can let go and enjoy the journey.
3. FOCUS ON GRATITUDE
When you choose gratitude and appreciation over criticism and fear, you shine a light on the positive. This rewires your brain to notice more of what you have and less of what you don’t. It also allows you to be curious about the events in your life as you no longer view them with suspicion. You can embrace change and let it in, appreciating that life never stays the same.
4. WATCH YOUR ENVIRONMENT
When reprogramming your brain for success, you have to limit negative influences in your environment. Your subconscious mind is constantly absorbing information from outside sources and using that information to form beliefs that shape how you think and behave. Negativity from the daily news, toxic people and social media can have a profound effect on your subconscious mind without you even knowing it.
As you work on how to reprogram your mind, remember that proximity is power. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Seek out books, videos and music that lifts you up and empowers you. Over time, you will find that your subconscious mind is more positive and encouraging and that negative thoughts have greatly diminished.
5. VISUALIZE
Remember the basketball players? They learned how to reprogram their minds through visualization. By picturing in their minds the perfect free throw over and over, they were able to program their brains to actually make those shots once they got on the court.
What does your perfect day look like? How do you want your big presentation at work to go? How exactly do you want a first date to go? Pick something you are truly committed to making a reality and spend 10-15 minutes each day visualizing it as if it has already happened. Your subconscious mind will absorb the feelings in your images as if they were real, giving you the inner confidence you need to make them come true.
6. BIOHACK YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND WITH BINAURAL BEATS
Biohacking is using experimentation and technology to improve your health and wellness. Biohacking can involve red light therapy to increase health, adopting an intermittent fasting plan to trigger weight loss or adding supplements to your diet to supercharge your health. One powerful way to reprogram your mind through biohacking is by harnessing the power of music. Our brainwaves respond differently to various types of music and we can induce certain feelings with the right beats.
Binaural beats involve playing two tones at different frequencies to induce certain states of mind. It’s been proven that our subconscious mind absorbs information better when we are in a relaxed state, so you can use binaural beats to trigger alpha brainwaves.
HOW TO KNOW IF IT’S WORKING
Subconscious mind programming can be tricky – by its very definition, you can’t always tell what it’s thinking. But there are ways to tell if your efforts to reprogram your mind are working.
You’re becoming more self-aware. You must be aware of your subconscious mind in order to reprogram it. Are you getting better at stopping negative self-talk and controlling your emotions? Are you able to shift your focus at will? These are signs of self-awareness.
You take more risks. Everyone has different risk tolerances, but limiting beliefs cause us not to take any risks at all. When you reprogram your mind, you’ll increase your confidence and be ready to get out of your comfort zone.
You attract positivity. As said, “Whatever you consistently think about and focus upon you move toward.” That’s the law of attraction: reprogramming your mind to think more positively can actually bring more positive things into your life.
Manifest life in the world of mind.
