Did you know that research shows that the majority of our behavior is driven by our subconscious mind? Studies say that it impacts 80-96% of what you think feel and do! Your subconscious programming affects your health, weight, family life, finances, choices, etc.
Everything you desire, that you don't have, lies outside the realm of what you already know. Meaning, if you want to make more money, have better relationships, attract the right clients, get more visibility for your business, etc. you'll have to start doing some new things to achieve it.
So, if you're hitting roadblocks, undercharging, feeling guilty asking for money, or resisting getting more visible, I'm betting there is something that you have going on at the subconscious level that is interfering.
I talk a lot about mindset and how you think about things on this blog and in my podcasts and programs. Mindset is sometimes conscious and sometimes subconscious.
Wouldn't it be cool if there was a way to “talk” to your subconscious? I call that optimizing your internal operating system.
Today, I'm going to share why change is difficult for many, some background on what you can do to fix that and a tool that I teach my private clients.
Why is Change So Hard!?
In order to achieve new results, you have to have a willingness to try new things, to step outside of your comfort zone, and to be ok with not knowing how things are going to turn out. Because that is literally the only way to upgrade your experiences.
When you attempt to make changes, your mind will begin to try to convince you that something is wrong or bad. Because the unconscious mind's job is to keep you safe. And safety is what lies in “the known”.
In addition to this pre-programmed desire for safety, we also have patterns that we reinforce every day without even knowing it. It’s called “self-talk.” Research shows that over 70% of our self-talk is negative!
Optimizing your internal operating system, your subconscious changes that.
Great Tool I've Found to Optimize My Internal Operating System
The trick with optimizing your internal operating system, your subconscious, is that it has to happen on the subconscious level. Since we are not consciously aware of what goes on in that level of our brain, how do we make an impact?
Introducing Afformations!
What if asking good questions could change your life?
Afformations (no, that was not a typo… ) were created by my friend and best selling author, Noah St. John.
He's been teaching about Afformations for a number of years and wrote book called The Book of Afformations: Discovering The Missing Piece to Abundant Health, Wealth, Love, and Happiness and it’s an great read.
Afformations were one of the first tools I found that really changed my thinking and inner resistance to the changes I wanted in my life.
Noah had found that he would repeat affirmations over and over for years, but they just did not seem to have a big impact for him.
I found the same thing. I could walk around all day saying affirmations and really felt more like I was lying to myself. I’d say things like “ya really, that is going to happen…” My inner critic would get in the way.
So he came up with a way to bypass that by understanding how the brain works.
He calls his approach afformations and it is all focused on asking yourself a question. But it is a question that states the outcome you want. The question bypasses your inner resistance and begins working on the problem. Your subconscious works on trying to answer the question as soon as it hears it.
You Are Invited!
Noah and I got together and answer your questions on doubling your income and building your business and living an abundant lifestyle and talked about affirmations. You can listen below.
You will Discover:
- What Afformations are and how they are different from affirmations.
- How to identify if you have a “Belief Gap” and what you can do about it.
- How to charge up your Inner Game and Outer Game of Success (and what that means).
- How to define your abundant lifestyle and create it in 28 days or less.
- Why this is different yet similar to “Law of Attraction” stuff.
Listen here: https://InstantTeleseminar.com/Events/47297091
Replay By Phone: Dial: (206) 402-0103 Replay ID: 4729-7091#
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Here are a Few Stories of Afformation Success
Lisa Mallis (time strategy visionary for direct sellers)
“I'm listening to the afformations right now and wanted to give you feedback. I find that these afformations (or your soothing voice – or a combination of the two) really helps me concentrate. For example, today I’m super tired – emotional week, late night last night, etc. and I have a hard time concentrating. Playing these really helps me focus! So – a side benefit to the actual behavior and intention change!”
Chris Shay (customer experience and marketing strategy consultant)
“Before I started using afformations, I was suffering ongoing fear and anxiety about success or — really — a lack of success. It wasn't that I wasn't successful at all, but I lived with the ongoing fear that I would fail. A panic that could take my breath away!
“Stephanie told me about Noah St. John's afformations — I immediately recorded a number of her suggested afformations and started listening to them with earphones as I fell asleep. For the first time in two years, I started feeling optimistic. It had been a long time since I felt like that. More importantly, I started hearing my thoughts during the day that contradicted the afformations! So, I could start intervening with myself – asking why I was telling myself that.
“Even better than that, with the new positive energy I was putting out, good things were coming my way, I had more confidence and started charging more. And the people connected to me enjoyed some of the positive energy I was putting out — it was making their life better too!
“I am so grateful to Steph for teaching me about afformations!! They have really worked for me.”
If you would like to know more about how to Optimize Your Internal Operating System using Afformations and other awesome tools, apply for a breakthrough strategy session today.
Until we talk again,
Live Fully — Love Openly — Laugh Often — Leverage Your Brilliance — Connect Authentically — Get Your Message Out — Serve with Impact — Prosper Everyday
Nate says
The more we are open to change, the more we will change. The fact that most people are not willing to change is because their not open to it. They can say they want “change” all they want but at the end of the day, they need to be open and honest to the truth. Well written article!
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Hi Nate. Thanks for dropping by. That is the interesting thing about the conscious and subconscious mind. Normally, we can’t control what is in the subconscious.
Catherine James says
For me, I’m open to the change in organizing, then my life starts running away with me and I just slip back into the old habits. No good, maybe the affirmations will help.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Hi Catherine. Thanks for stopping by. Yes! Give afformations a try. I encourage you to sign up for the interview I’ll be doing with Noah. You could get your question answered directly and be on your way to sustaining the change you are looking for.
Renee says
It’s a spiritual truth…”whatsoever man thinketh in his heart,so is he.”
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Very true
Sophie Bowns says
I always find change to be hard if I’m honest, but sometimes it is for the better.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Hi Sophie – I think it can be a challenge for many. That is why the coaching industry is so successful. We are programmed to stay with what we know. Our subconscious wants to protect us. That is great if what we have is exactly what we want, but if we are looking for other things in our life, we have to figure out how to be okay with change.
Kimberly Eldredge says
Do you go into at all what is working vs. what needs to be changed? Or how you can tweak something to enhance an area of life/habit/thought patterns that IS working?
I find all of this fascinating and am looking forward to learning more.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Hi Kimberly – Thanks for asking. I’ll do what I can to incorporate that into the interview with Noah. Hope you’ll be able to be with us on the 31st.
Maribel Jimenez says
Thanks for sharing about afformations….I really like what Noah St. John shares about it and find it very powerful!
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Glad you like it Maribel.
Gina says
This sounds intriguing. It makes sense that the right questions could bypass the subconscious mind. I signed up for the book chapter. I’d like see an example of one of these questions. Maybe I’ll find an example in the chapter. I hope it works for me, too!
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Thanks for the comment Gina. I invite you to listen in on the interview I’m doing with Noah too. The question format is quite simple.
For example, one of your clients might use:
Why am I so open to creating amazing group programs?
Why is running group programs so much fun?
Etc
For my high-level private coaching clients, I’ll record afformations for them that are modeled directly after the things that are blocking their success. I have been thrilled with how much them listening to afformation recordings right before they go to bed enhances the coaching work that I do with them. It’s a great complement to my work.
Brenda Adams says
Thank you for sharing that affirmations didn’t work for you! They have never worked for me either. I haven’t heard of afformations before, very intriguing……The tool that I use instead of affirmations is expressing gratitude for something when I am in a negative headspace. If you are truly expressing/thinking about something that you are grateful for it instantly shifts you out of the negative headspace.
Thank you for yet another alternative to affirmations 🙂
Stephanie LH Calahan says
You are welcome Brenda. Practicing gratitude is a fabulous thing to do! I have written posts on it in the past and was published in the Gratitude Project Book. So glad that you have that in your daily activities. I share my “Thankful Thursday” post on Facebook listing out my “Golden List” and it is often one of the best things I can do for myself.
Gratitude is excellent for things that you have going on in your conscious thought process. Sometimes, that does not make it to your subconscious. That is where I have found Affortmations to be effective. Afformations are not meant as an instant boost to a current headspace. It is meant to help reprograms some of the negative things that you tell yourself.
Since you are into health, I’ll give you a personal example that helped me in that arena. I used to tell myself that I was not athletic. I believed it at the core of my being. Therefore, anytime that something that came up that required being physical, I automatically would believe that it was not for me. That included regular exercise. So, I spent time with afformations that focused on my attitude towards health and being physical. It is kind of amazing, but I don’t view myself in the same way that I used to. Now I actively participate in activities that I find enjoyable and even take a class with my son and we love it! But, I had to view myself differently before that was possible. Afformations helped that.
I hope you’ll have time to join us in the interview of Noah. I believe you would have some good questions for him.
kristine says
Afformation is really powerful and can really change our lives. Good things will come if you start new things that will help you achieve your dreams. This is a great arcticle.
James says
Did you ever have success with afformations in financial area regarding making money? If someone is struggling with it, can they help? How quick can someone realistically expect results with this thing in financial area if someone is struggling in this area currently?
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Hi James – Yes! Listen to the interview recording in the post. I share how it made a significant difference for me.
LYRA GRACE GALLEROS EFE says
Yes I agree about this article. I practice affirmations for one month saying positive words towards to myself but sometimes It feels like, that it doesn’t work and effective like I was just lying to myself. When I start to used Afformations , those empowering questions seems more effective for me. My life is more better and I can feel the inner peace and boost up my self confidence.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
I’m so glad that you have found Afformations to be a great tool for you. Thanks for sharing your story.