Karen Brown shares her thoughts on using the unconscious mind to help achieve goals and resolutions. Here’s an excerpt:
There is a psychological link between negative thoughts and failure, says Denver-based Karen Brown, a business psychology coach and the author of “Unlimiting Your Beliefs; 7 Keys to Greater Success in Your Personal and Professional Life.”
“The behavior that you display is really from your unconscious mind, which is the driver of all behavior,” Brown says.
Reframe changes positively, Brown says, as the unconscious mind does not process negatives. Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” state your goal as, “I want to be X-number of pounds.”
“The word ‘should’ and the word ‘lose’ are terrible,” Brown says. “Sometimes we joke in the psychological world, don’t ‘should’ all over yourself.”
One of the reasons we tend to fail at New Year’s resolutions is that they’re simply too lofty. Be specific, and be realistic. If you’re not currently a runner, it’s not likely that you’ll start going for four-mile runs three or four times a week. Start small: Simply resolve to go for a run (after all, you’ll need to find out if you even like to run in the first place).