There’s a reason why habits are habits and new ones must be built to sustain. There is also a reason for the term machine-learning. Our brains are like machines — very emotion and need driven computers that learn by external programming first and doing second.

Earl Nightingale said “Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become reality.” Your subconscious mind is much more powerful than your conscious mind. In fact, much of what you do is controlled by your subconscious conditioning.

Programming

I began exploring this concept as I explored meditation, my bad habits and why it seemed so hard to exhibit discipline. I initially concluded that I did not grow up in an environment that encouraged discipline or commitment to greatness. I thought I knew everything as a teenager and with struggles present in my home, it was easier to let me believe so than to discipline me otherwise. This resulted in me quitting things whenever they got hard or too expensive. Academically, I wasn’t being challenged yet made great grades so I saw no reason to change my work ethic. Among the harmful conditioning I received from key relationships,  during my key development years I didn’t build or see a healthy routine. This plays a large part in habits we form and what we value about ourselves coupled with our approach to creating life progression.

Limiting Beliefs 

Due to my struggle with commitment and natural draw toward new things, I rarely mastered anything — time management included. I didn’t value moderation or commitment to healthy habits because nothing I was doing ever truly effected whether or not I achieved my goals. Having faced issues with my career focus and interpersonal relationships, I began to understand there was an issue at hand. Further, I had developed self-esteem issues from a wounded child-parent relationship. As an adult, it’s been difficult getting what I want out of life because I hadn’t ever tried relentlessly at getting what I truly want out of myself. I was settling for what I believed was good enough. My journey is now focused on understanding my belief system.

Believing Bigger 

I know that if I understand what is programmed into my brain about Me from years of experiences, I can be intentional about downloading new ideas to eliminate the limiting beliefs present. One of the many ways to understand your mind is to meditate – this can look different for everyone. Some people need to run, others need to sit quietly and visualize. I am still exploring to find out what’s best for me. Currently, affirmations work well for me.  Affirmations are statements one can make to or about themselves in repetition to change their beliefs over time. Affirmations work like auto-suggestion as a form of guided meditation or subliminal conditioning. The person I want to be has an impeccable routine with goal supporting habits. Repeating positive statements about things I wish to change such as my personal relationship to discipline, helps me see myself in an improved light. Thus, my habits begin to reflect that which I wish to achieve.

Your mind needs repetition over time to learn habits that stick. You will resist naturally. Yet, each action you take in rebellion of your learned behaviors — is one step closer to the healthy behavior you want to see.

Ask yourself today: Have I defined what I want from life; from myself? Do I believe I deserve what I want? Am I behaving as if I want these things? If not, it’s time to change your belief system. If your what you want doesn’t scare you a little – maybe it’s time to believe bigger.