Did you know your brain can actually work against you without you even knowing it?
To illustrate the point, have you set goals time and again, yet failed to reach them?
Have you ever said to yourself, “Be realistic. You’re reaching too far with that goal.”
How about “How am I going to do that? What in the world was I thinking?”
NaNoWriMo participants might being saying both of the above right now!
You might think you’re the problem, but in fact, more likely it is your brain working against you. Let’s look at how that happens and how we can get the brain to work for us instead.
How the Brain Works
There is an element of the brain scientists call the creative subconscious. The primary job of the creative subconscious is to maintain sanity. That might sound odd, but the way it works is like this: if you have a self-image of being shy, then the brain works to maintain your actions accordingly. You don’t have to consciously think about how to act shy.
The mind principle that explains this is “we will not allow ourselves to be unlike ourselves.”*
The brain does not like change. It would rather maintain routine and keep you in your comfort zone. This is why so many New Year’s resolutions fail.
So when it comes to change in your life (no matter what the change is), statements like those above are often what our mind says to us to keep us in our old routine.
How to Overcome the Brain’s Resistance
Mind principle: The brain locks onto the strongest picture. It will move you toward that picture.
Create in your mind a vision of the end result of your goal.
Example: If you want to become a best selling author, what does that look like to you? An Amazon best seller, a New York Times best seller? What do you see yourself doing? Selling 1000 books a month every month? Book signing tours? Speaking tours? Connect emotion with your vision. How will you feel? Excited? Amazing? Joyful?
Create affirmations to support each goal, written in a way that states you have already achieved your goal. “I am so excited that I am a best selling author.” Remember, your brain accepts what you tell it.
There is a correct way and a wrong way to write an affirmation. Read “Writing affirmations that help you reach your goals” to learn more.
Watch your self-talk. The power of life and death is in your words (see Proverbs 18:21). Speak in the present “I am” not in the future “I will be.”
The brain deals with now, not the future. What your “already have it” picture does is create a gap between what is now and what you say you have. The brain doesn’t like this gap and it will work to close it—provides creative energy and ideas to accomplish the end result.
But beware, the brain will often work to stop the change before it begins to help you. Speak your affirmations daily and daily envision having already achieved your goal.
Know your core belief about reaching your goal. If you believe you can’t reach it, then no amount of envisioning and speaking affirmations is going to help. You must truly believe you can reach your goal.
I take all this one step further and add the power of God’s promises to my affirmations. Those promises help me overcome wrong beliefs and activate the power of God within me.
To learn more about mind principles, be sure to read these related posts:
- “Use mind principles to succeed at your resolutions.”
- “Are you undermining your motivation to write? Change your self-talk”
For videos that discuss these principles, catch my video playlist Mind-set over on my FB page.
*From Making Your Mind Magnificent by Steven Campbell