WHY YOUR BRAIN RESISTS CHANGE
And One Skill To Overcome It
3-Minute Read
When it comes to making your aspirations reality, reprogramming your subconscious brain with new instructions is the differentiator between rapid acceleration and constant frustration. Last week we introduced why these new instructions are necessary to take full advantage of this Hidden Superpower at your disposal.
In this week’s issue of The Grip, we contend with a harsh reality that arises when you attempt to reprogram your subconscious brain: either it works inconsistently or not at all. What’s going on?
The answer is found in how the subconscious is designed to function. The very strength that makes it a powerful workhorse on your behalf also makes it a stubborn mule that refuses to change direction when you desire to do so. We’ll show you what that is and reveal the first step for overcoming it.
Let’s dive in!
why your brain resists change
New Instructions Not Working—What Gives?
Anything that is easy for you to achieve reflects that you have the subconscious programs to support it. Anything that is difficult reflects that you don’t yet have the subconscious programs to support it. Achievement really is that simple.
Many of the subconscious programs currently operating in your life were formed before you had a conscious say in the matter—likely by age seven. Really. And your subconscious brain has been running those programs automatically now for decades.
As an adult, when you attempt to instruct your subconscious with a new direction—for instance, “I easily make money”—one of two things will happen:
The subconscious brain will readily take to the new instruction because there is no counterproductive program already running. With consistent practice and repetition, the new instruction will become an established program on autopilot, and in short order, produce new outcomes in your life.
The subconscious brain will ignore the new instruction because there is an older, stronger counterproductive program already in place that’s been running for years. No amount of practice and repetition will convert it to a new program on autopilot. The new instruction will make no difference and you will continue to produce the same outcomes in your life.
If there is an area of your life where, for years, you have experienced continual frustration when attempting to create the change you desire, you’re dealing with more than just the absence of supportive subconscious programs. You would have created them by now through the practice and repetition of new instructions otherwise.
The real reason your new instructions aren’t working is that the pre-established, now counterproductive instructions are still in operation. These pre-existing, outdated programs are literally running your life and mucking up your results.
Simply, they’re powerfully moving you in a direction you no longer desire to go. Let’s change that.
The first step in dealing effectively with these counterproductive programs is to get skilled at identifying them.
Identifying Your Outdated Subconscious Programs
Learning to identify the outdated programs running amuck in your subconscious brain is a vital skill for shifting your subconscious brain’s power to work for your rather than against you. With a little guidance, you can develop this skill. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist; you just need to know where to look.
To get you started, we’ll use the earlier example of making money to demonstrate what to look for. Let’s imagine it is your desire to build wealth, but you have struggled to do so for years. The subconscious programs to look for aren’t limited to just your thoughts and beliefs; they are also comprised of emotions and feelings.
The following are examples of probable programs creating your financial struggle:
I don’t deserve to be wealthy.
Making money is hard.
Scarcity feels normal.
Worry and insecurity feels normal.
Rich people are assholes.
Money is the root of all evil.
Wealth is for other people.
Having lots of money is dangerous.
Having lots of money feels strange.
My friends & family won’t accept me.
My friends & family will try to take advantage of me.
It’s going to take a long time.
Use the list as a starting point to help you identify outdated programs likely behind any area of struggle in your life. It only takes one well established program to perpetuate your struggle to create something new.
To help you drill down even more, use the following questions to uncover the specific outdated programs you may be dealing with right now. Think of an ongoing struggle that continues to resist your efforts to change and ask yourself the following:
What did I witness about this in my family and community growing up?
What messages did I pick up about it?
What was said to me about it directly?
What was modeled for me?
What did I hear my parents say about it?
What vow or promise did I make to myself about it?
What about it do I fear?
What’s the downside to achieving it?
What’s the upside to not achieving it?
What feels normal to me about it?
I remember the day that I woke up to the reality that I didn’t struggle with certain things being difficult; I was addicted to certain things being difficult—a program that had run my life and frustrated my aspirations for 40 years.
Identifying that program was the critical first step in harnessing the power of my subconscious brain. Practice the guidance above and you’ll become skilled at this critical first step as well.
“I didn’t struggle with certain things being difficult; I was addicted to certain things being difficult.”
Next week we’ll show you the final step for harnessing the power of your subconscious brain and how to integrate today’s skill with it. Putting these two steps together will create massive breakthrough in your life.
Keep creating!
May you prosper in every way!
Becky & TPL Team
52 Maxims of Conscious Choosing To Create the Deeply Satisfying Life You Desire.