When Will-Power isn’t Enough

Struggling to Make Lasting Life Changes? Here’s How to Make it Happen

Are you finding it difficult to make lasting changes in your life? Whether it’s quitting smoking, losing weight, prioritizing your health, or something else—how is that going for you? Have you ever been told you just need more willpower? If only you had more of it, right?

What if I told you that “willpower” is actually pretty ineffective when it comes to making lasting changes? What if there were a few simple mind tricks that could put you in control of your success?

Intrigued? Keep reading…

The Real Power: It’s Not Willpower

The real secret lies in something far more powerful than willpower—your subconscious mind. This hidden power is what really holds the key to your success.

You see, our minds work in two ways: the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Let’s explore the difference and why it’s crucial for your success.

Conscious vs. Subconscious Mind

The conscious mind is the part of the mind that’s in charge of reasoning, logic, and decision-making. It’s the 10% of your mind that does most of the thinking—looking, listening, learning, judging, analyzing, and accepting or rejecting information. Sounds pretty important, right? But here’s the catch: willpower resides in your conscious mind, which only makes up 10% of your brain’s power.

So why doesn’t willpower work as well as we’d like? Because it only has 10% of the brain’s resources. It’s simply not enough to overcome deeply ingrained habits and beliefs.

Now, let’s look at the powerhouse—the subconscious mind. The subconscious makes up 90% of your brain power. It’s responsible for regulating bodily functions, storing memories, and managing your beliefs, habits, emotions, and reactions. These beliefs and habits were mostly formed during your early years, between birth and age 8 to 12, when the conscious mind wasn’t developed enough to filter out negative or erroneous information.

90% of Your Brain is Running on Old Programming

Think about that: 90% of your brain’s power is governed by programming you received before your 8th birthday. And throughout your life, this programming has been reinforced by every experience you’ve had. No wonder making changes with willpower alone feels like such an uphill battle!

But here’s the good news: the subconscious mind has one major strength that we can harness to our advantage. It’s something that can help you rewrite those old programs.

The Subconscious Mind Loves to Act on Images and Emotions

The subconscious doesn’t care what program it’s given to run. It just runs the strongest one. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “The strongest emotion wins.” This is true because the emotions we attach to experiences form the most powerful programs in our subconscious.

So, how can we use this to our advantage? Simple: by creating a stronger emotional image and a new mental picture to overwrite the old one. When you can create a new, positive emotional connection, the subconscious will work for you instead of against you.

Creating Your New Reality

How do you do this? The first step is to create your “why”. Why do you want to change? This will fuel the emotion behind your transformation. Once you’ve identified your why, make a mental image or a list of all the activities and feelings associated with your new life.

Let’s take weight loss as an example. Ask yourself: If I am at my desired weight and shape, what would I look like? Picture that! Now, build on it—what would you be doing? Perhaps hiking, walking, or feeling more active? What would you be wearing? A dress or suit that highlights your great shape? Where would you go? The more details, the better!

As you build this mental image, feel the emotions connected to it. Picture yourself with confidence, satisfaction, and empowerment. What would it feel like to experience those emotions in your new body and life? This is your new “mind video.”

Immerse Yourself in the Experience

Now, step into this new version of yourself. Play this mental video multiple times a day, really engaging with the emotions and feelings. The more excitement and joy you feel, the more powerful the programming becomes. Smiling, feeling excited, and experiencing gratitude for your new self will strengthen the process.

Create an empowering word or phrase that reminds you of this new state. Use it to trigger the emotions you want to cultivate. Something like, “I am learning to love and appreciate myself more every day”

Reinforcing the Change

Your next step is to play this video often. First thing in the morning, play your mind video to set a positive tone for your day. Engage in those emotions right away—this will get you into a motivated and empowered state.

And when your old patterns or emotions creep in—stop them immediately. Use your empowering word or phrase and play your mind video to retrain your subconscious. This may take some practice, but don’t give up.

Before bed, repeat your video experience. The subconscious mind is most receptive during sleep, and this will help reinforce your new, positive programming.

Unlock Your Limitless Potential

Now that you know how to harness the power of your subconscious mind, you have the keys to unlock your potential for change. With your subconscious mind on your side, there is nothing you can’t achieve—health, prosperity, wealth, or whatever you desire.

Be patient with the process. Change takes time, especially when you’re reprogramming habits that have been in place for years. Keep going—you’ve got this!

If you ever feel stuck or need extra support, I’m here to help. Hypnotherapy is an incredibly powerful tool to help you make changes quickly and permanently.

Ready to take the next step? Schedule your free 20-minute consultation with me, and let’s talk about how hypnotherapy can support your journey to lasting change.

Want more peace and inspiration in your life? Welcome to Empowering Mindful Moments your Free weekly guide to personal growth, mindful transformation, and living with intention.

Hi, I’m Art Kuhns, the founder of Breaking Day Hypnotherapy. As a certified Hypnotherapist trained at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute (HMI) and a Reiki Master/Teacher, I specialize in energy healing. I believe in holistic healing that integrates mind, emotions, body, and spirit for comprehensive wellness. My approach combines Reiki-infused hypnotherapy to empower your journey towards ultimate success.

I’m proud to be a member of these associations:

• International Certification Board for Clinical Hypnotherapists (ICBCH)
• National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapist (NATH)
• Toastmaster member since 2014 (Speakeasy9797)