Karen Brown
Will Power…how far does it get us???
OK, we’re a few weeks into a new year and decade and I wonder how many of you have already decided that your new years resolutions were perhaps a little too much or that you have been unable to maintain the initial changes planned and have stopped altogether? I wonder what this does to the self-esteem and collected personal achievement scores?!
I often hear people say, “Well, my will power just wained” or “I just don’t have the will power to stop smoking”. Will power is about forcing yourself to do something you don’t really want to do. With gritted teeth and irritability I hear people scream “I’m going to lose that weight, stop smoking, start running, etc, etc, etc, in the new year, next week, tomorrow, next month, when I reach forty” …need I go on!
But does will power work? There is little doubt that will power can help you achieve goals, even where the process of achieving those goals are somewhat painful. Ask any marathon runner that question!
But will power only gets you so far. You’re unlikely to accomplish anything requiring prolonged effort if you rely solely on will power. There’s only so much “willing” most people can do. Many end up unconsciously slipping into old behaviours. Will power starts us on path to yet another self-fulfilling prophecy of the ‘I can’t do it any longer, I just haven’t got the will power’, and as a result, most dieters end up breaking their diets, most couch-potatoes end up back on the couch and most ‘I’m going to get fit in the New Year’ fanatics are still paying expensive membership fees and probably won’t visit the place again this year!. When the will power wanes and the old behaviours return, this perpetuates the endless cycle of worthlessness! I’m tired just typing that last paragraph!
Does anyone identify with this pattern?
It does not have to be this way and yes, there are many different ways of achieving and maintaining change in your life. However, this is the catch – your unconscious mind or subconscious as it is sometimes referred, is the gatekeeper. Henry Ford purported a saying that’s now become famous… “whether you think you can or you cannot, you are right”. Your unconscious is very sensitive and reactive to your thoughts. Henry Ford obviously knew this all those years ago.
If you are unsure about all this, then do this simple exercise and find out for yourself…
- Stand upright with your feet approximately 8-10 inches apart.
- Look directly ahead with your body feeling balanced and your arms at your sides.
- Say to yourself over and over in your mind or out loud, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, (you could even add an emphatic Harry met Sally moment if you wish!)
- Notice what you notice about your body, feel its natural movement and momentum and what is happening?
Now, what did you have for breakfast this morning? Just a question to break your state.
Repeat the same procedure as above, yet this time say to yourself over and over in your mind or out loud, No!, No!, No!, No!… and again, what can you notice that your body naturally wants you to do?
If you have done this correctly, then you should have noticed that when you were repeating the word ‘Yes’, your body swayed forward in momentum, even though you were standing. If you also had someone watch from the side, they can also notice the forward sway.
When repeating the word ‘No’, your body had a natural change in direction, almost like gravity pulling you backwards.
Your body and unconscious mind knows instinctively what is good for it and what isn’t. This method can be tested with foods by asking something like “Is that pasty okay for me to eat?” Really notice and get in tune with what your body is saying to you and pay attention! It can also be done with situations or anything else you may be unsure of. What this technique can do is test if certain foods, drinks, skin rubs, are toxic for you in any way. Pretty cool huh!
So, no more excuses, test your body and mind before having that unhealthy snack, pint of lager, extra cake etc. Remember to do this and it becomes automatic, unconscious behaviour after a short period of time.
Yes words, good feelings, positive thoughts, taking action towards your goals unconsciously propel you forward, be this in time, in your life, or onto your next step. These words have literal meanings to your unconscious mind, so be good to your unconscious mind, treat it well, nurture your thoughts and reap the rewards of many things you are to discover about yourself now, it may even happen quicker than you think!!
Thank you for reading and enjoy.
Karen