Think Do Be : Training the Unconscious Mind

Think. Do. Be.

This is the cycle of change that we go through as we train ourselves into patterns of behavior and thought. First, we think about what we want and formulate plans to get it. Next, we do the action that we had planned or imagined. Finally, we become what we repeatedly do. Who we become influences our environment and, in turn, the things that we think about. This is happening in all parts of our lives, all the time, no matter what we are doing.

Luckily, we don’t have to control all of it at once. That would be like trying to individually micromanage a hive of ants. Instead, our unconscious mind takes the burden of running (most) things for us. The only issue with this system is that the unconscious mind is not under our direct control. It’s not under our direct control because we can’t directly communicate with it. Unlike our conscious mind, the unconscious doesn’t speak in terms of concrete symbols and ideas. Instead, it responds to trends in our behavior — to what we consistently think and do over the course of our lifetime.

The unconscious mind is like an autopilot system that we are constantly reprogramming or a friendly AI that recognizes our attempts to communicate only in the trends of big data. At best, our conscious mind is like the person sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle going down the highway. It’s possible for the passenger to reach over and take the wheel. But that can be extremely jarring and uncomfortable for everyone involved. The passenger could also provide a constant stream of instructions and critiques to the driver. But that gets wearisome and annoying quickly. Nobody likes a backseat driver. A better solution would be to train the driver to drive in a way that the passenger enjoys. That way, the driver can drive and the passenger can passenge.

Training the unconscious mind is about becoming aware of and intentional about what we are thinking, doing and becoming over time. By becoming more aware, we learn how EXACTLY our thoughts and behaviors are interacting in this system. We start to see which variables of thought and behavior seem connected and internalize the rules that govern how they impact each other. By becoming more intentional, we begin to experiment with controlling these variables consciously instead of letting them be managed on autopilot.

This is a holistic way to respond when we look out the window of our life car and realize that we are in a place we don’t want to be. It doesn’t help to frantically grab the wheel of the car or start yelling at the driver. Instead, there might be a quick stop to glance at a map and a brief conversation about how to avoid similar places in the future as the driver reroutes towards a new destination. As the journey continues, communication must remain open. Creating and maintaining harmony between the conscious and unconscious mind, we can have greater confidence that the car of our lives will be driven in a manner that is enjoyable for the passenger, follows a scenic route and stops at memorable destinations along the way.