2 Simple Ways You Can Program Your Mind To Help You Achieve Anything
You remember Pavlov and his dogs right?
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who accidentally discovered the psychological phenomenon of “classical conditioning” while researching salivation in dogs in response to being fed. In short, Pavlov showed that dogs could be conditioned (or trained) to salivate at the sound of a bell if that sound was repeatedly made while they were given food.
Our minds are just as trainable as those dogs, and we can employ this same technique on ourselves to create positive changes in our lives.
Below are two simple use cases for how you can employ Pavlovian conditioning.
Use Case 1: Program your mind to become the person you want to be.
How to accomplish this using Pavlovian conditioning:
Pair an empowering thought about yourself expressed as an affirmation with a daily habit or task.
Examples:
Every time you pour yourself a cup of coffee…
“I am a confident and charismatic leader and entrepreneur who inspires everyone around me.”
Every time you tie your shoes…
“I am a fit muscular athlete with a healthy body who is reversing aging.”
Every time you brush your teeth…
“I am a brilliant {writer, teacher, coach, etc.} who comes up with creative solutions at a rapid rate.
Say this empowering thought every day when you are performing your designated habit until you no longer have to “say it” — because your subconscious mind will have taken over by putting this thought on autopilot.
You can literally do this for anything:
- Simply pick a goal you want to accomplish.
- Turn the end result of that goal into an affirmation.
- Repeat that affirmation every time you perform a particular action.
To amplify the impact: add in visualization. Think of an image that depicts your affirmation while performing your habit.
Use Case 2: Train your mind to immediately enter into a meditative state without actually meditating.
How to accomplish this using Pavlovian conditioning:
Listen to the same piece of music every day with headphones while you meditate.
It might not sound all that earth-shattering, but the devil is in the details here.
- Pick the same music.
- Listen to it every day while you meditate for at least 6-months.
- Choose a track that helps you feel at peace and relaxed.
- The only strict rule for the music is no lyrics. You don’t want someone else’s words impressed upon your subconscious.
In terms of music, I suggest:
- Binaural beats
- Soft piano instrumentals
- Nature sounds: ocean waves or rain
Why does this work?
Over time, this will help you get into a relaxed meditative state quicker. And the quicker you get into this state, the more likely you will reach your subconscious mind.
Eventually, you’ll get to the point when the second you put on your headphones you will drop into this state. It’s a subtle shift that will happen over weeks and months — but little by little, you are training your mind to associate deep meditative states with this exact behavior and these exact sounds.
Final Thoughts
Try both of these and have fun with them. Upgrading and reprogramming your subconscious is a fun, exciting endeavor. Think of it like a game — and you never know what might happen.
Who knows, maybe you will start salivating at the sound of a bell.
You are a Conscious Creator of your reality!
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