Tuning Your Subconscious

An image speaks better than a thousand words.

Our conscious mind is the source of all our desires, wishes, aspirations. To be mindful and aware at every moment requires focus, attention, will power. The conscious mind is deliberate and slow. When our conscious mind focusses on an activity or when mental chatter takes over, we lose awareness of whatever is happening around us. When this happens, our subconscious mind takes over. 80%-90% of our day runs on autopilot without our awareness in the present moment. 

Our Subconscious mind is the programmed mind. It is the consequence of the early years of conditioning and the repetitive actions, behaviors, and experiences embedded as fast response programs in our mind. These programs are captured as beliefs, self-image (Ego), Habits, fears, etc. Subconscious is intuitive, quick response, and operates on autopilot.

Right now, as you are reading this blog, you’re primarily using your conscious mind to read the words and absorb their meaning. However, beneath that mental focus, your subconscious mind is busily working behind the scenes, absorbing or rejecting information based on an existing perception you have on this subject.

Our subconscious mind is similar to the auto-pilot feature on an airplane. The flight has been pre-programmed to follow a specific route, and It won’t deviate from that default route unless you change the directions programmed into it first.

Whatever you can do effortlessly in your life and where you see positive results, it means that your subconscious is aligned to your conscious goals. If you are stressed or struggling to achieve anything, it means there is a misalignment between your conscious desires and subconscious build-up. 

The subconscious mind is a habit mind, and it is resistant to change. There is only one way to bring about changes to a habit brain and that is by installing new habits. Repeat something over and over and over again—practice, repeat, practice.

I wanted to start blogging. I had at least three aborted attempts at starting this. My conscious mind tried to do it. But every time there was a voice inside me that would pull me back. However hard I tried; it was just not happening. 

My subconscious belief that I was not good at writing was holding me back. I had to change that belief. 

I needed to install a new belief that I can write. To do that at a subconscious level, I needed to make writing a habit. I started with a simple plan of free writing 300 words every day without a break for at least two months. 

When I initially tried starting a Blog, there was fear, uncertainty. But when I started writing as a practice only for myself, there was no fear of judgment or benchmarking. It was just an activity. I repeated the process of writing every day until it became a habit. My subconscious mind had learned a new behavior. I was now ready.

My conscious goal of starting a Blog aligned with my subconscious. I was able to knock off one of my personal goals.

Unless you are a child younger than ten years, the only way you can change something at a subconscious level is through habituation.

So if you are looking for a conscious goal to pursue, first align your subconscious by building the right habits that will support you. When subconscious takes over the pursuit of any goal, the whole process becomes very effortless.

• If you want to run a marathon, first develop a habit of running daily.
• If you want to become good at playing in the stock market, first develop a habit of tracking stocks and performance to a point where it becomes second nature for you. Then you can play for real.
•   If you want to get first-class honors, develop the habit and discipline of studying daily.
• If you want to develop a mindset of abundance, replace your subconscious belief of scarcity through positive affirmations and actions of giving to override the old programming.

I am reminded of this famous Abraham Lincoln quote, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first five hours sharpening the ax.”. Aligning the subconscious is that conscious activity that is akin to sharpening the ax. The conscious effort has to be in building the habits that become a part of your subconscious. That is where transformation needs to happen if you really want to operate at your best.