| Do you remember that feeling at the beginning of a | | | | neurons making subconscious decisions. Which part of |
| new school year starting with brand new school | | | | your mind has the greatest control do you think? |
| supplies? That sense of freshness and new beginnings | | | | The subconscious mind is trained by the constant |
| as you open up the first page of an untouched | | | | repetition of the beliefs, values and lifestyle that you |
| notebook and hold a new sharp pointed pencil poised | | | | have taken and lived from an early age. It |
| to make the first mark? Usually the first few pages of | | | | automatically follows the familiar and well trodden path |
| my notebook would have my best neatest writing, | | | | of well ingrained thoughts, beliefs and behaviors. The |
| which then deteriorated as the time went on. My | | | | subconscious operates from such a well established |
| desire to do my best, reaching for higher standards of | | | | history that it responds automatically with learned |
| excellence dwindled as the day to day routines of daily | | | | responses and behavior. This is why it is so difficult to |
| living took me back to standards of mediocrity and just | | | | create new habits of thoughts and behaviours, the |
| getting by. | | | | subconscious mind will always try to revert to old |
| The beginning of a new year is often the time when | | | | familiar way of doing things, because they have |
| we reflect on the year that has past and see things | | | | become so automatic. The conscious mind has a hard |
| that we would like to change and do differently. A | | | | job to make permanent changes because of the |
| new year represents a new start, a new chapter and | | | | power of those four billion neurons. It can be achieved, |
| a clean unwritten page in life. There is a desire to live | | | | but it takes hard work by the conscious mind to retrain |
| better, reach new goals, and make a fresh start. We | | | | our subconscious mind. |
| make New Year Resolutions and promise ourselves | | | | It is said that you need to do something at least 30 |
| that this year we will do them. We summon up our will | | | | times to create a new habit. For changes in life long |
| power and determination and step into the New Year | | | | learnt behaviors it can take far more than that. For |
| with the greatest and sincerest of intentions. | | | | example have you ever got in the car and driven to |
| New Year Resolutions have become almost the joke | | | | your destination, and not really remember the journey |
| of this season. It is well recognized that those well | | | | there. You have been driving using the learned |
| intentioned New Years resolutions often fail as quickly | | | | behaviors of your subconscious mind, and your |
| as they are made. One common resolution is the goal | | | | conscious mind has been thinking about something else. |
| to lose weight by eating sensibly and exercise. It is the | | | | However if you were to drive in a different country |
| busiest time of year for Fitness Centers, but statistics | | | | whose custom is to drive on the other side of the road |
| have shown that new memberships are rarely kept up | | | | - your conscious mind would be working very hard to |
| more than month or two. One thing that New Year | | | | correct the learned and instinctive behavior of your |
| resolutions do show is that good intentions are not | | | | subconscious mind. In fact the whole experience of |
| sufficient to make permanent changes in our lives. | | | | driving on the other side of the road feels wrong and |
| Why do most New Year Resolutions fail? | | | | uncomfortable, and if you lose your concentration you |
| We are motivated by pleasure in life rather than pain. | | | | could find yourself automatically going back to familiar |
| Many resolutions involve some kind of deprivation of | | | | patterns and become a road hazard! |
| pleasure whether it be eating, or stopping a bad habit. | | | | Here are tips for working on those New Year's |
| We know that although we enjoy our bad habits, their | | | | Resolutions: |
| consequences are ultimately not beneficial for either | | | | Don't expect instant results - it's a process |
| our health or life. The desire for instant gratification for | | | | Plan small attainable steps to your desired goal |
| short term pleasure is far stronger than any mental | | | | Celebrate each successful step towards your goal |
| logical sense of reason in most cases. We know in our | | | | and work on it until it feels automatic before |
| head what we should do, but doing it when it opposes | | | | progressing to the next |
| our immediate desires is tough. | | | | Don't give up when you experience relapses and set |
| Our mind is composed of two parts; the conscious and | | | | backs |
| subconscious mind. Brain activity takes place through | | | | Review your new steps and goals several times daily. |
| neurons. In one second of time the conscious mind | | | | Visualize what reaching your goal will look and feel like |
| uses two thousand neurons, and in that same second | | | | Write down your steps and goals. |
| the subconscious mind uses four billion neurons. This | | | | Find people who will support and encourage you on |
| means that every second there are two thousand | | | | the way. |
| neurons making conscious decisions and four billion | | | | |