How Does Change Happen

I love to change. As I am writing this now, I am remembering that it was about 16 years ago when I learned to touch-type. I read in a book, that if you wanted to be a successful salesperson, you should learn to touch-type. So I thought that would do for me then. So I went online and ordered a touch-typing course cd, then sat back in anticipation. (Yes, it was 2002 – there are probably online courses now).

I Perservered

A few days later, there was a thud on our front door welcome mat – a parcel. (Don’t you just love that sound?). The CD had arrived. I ripped open the padded envelope: yes, it was my touch-typing course. The course helped to instill the muscle memory in each finger, so that you could type using all fingers and thumbs without looking at the keyboard. It was tough, but I persevered. My fingers ached, especially the two pinkies, which weren’t used to doing anything. Now my right pinkie was in charge of the : and the ?. Eventually I mastered touch-typing. I haven’t had to re-learn it. I only learned it once. As they say, ‘It is just like riding a bike’. Why is this? I will explain shortly.

Why are we like we are?

Have you ever wondered why we are like we are? Between the mid 1800’s and the 1980s, common wisdom said that once our brains were developed, that was it. We were like we were and there was no changing. You were a – Night Owl, for example. Alternatively, you were a – XYZ (fill the gap).
Now, thankfully, science realises that the brain has plasticity. This means that we can and do change. But how can we change?

What Doesn’t Work

Firstly, let’s look at what doesn’t work. Sitting around doing nothing will obviously not result in any change. Also doing the same things that you’ve done before will also not result in any change. You’ve heard the saying that insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting the same results. This is very true. In this, I include reading self-development books and not following through on the actions. Also not following through on the initial motivation, you get at a seminar. For permanent change to happen we need to influence the part of the mind that will allow change to happen.

Where change happens.

We all know that the mind has different levels of consciousness. Very loosely, we can describe them as conscious and subconscious. It is the subconscious mind, which controls all of our bodily functions. The subconscious keeps us alive, without us having to think about it. It also holds our instincts, memories, beliefs and habits; in effect all our learned behaviours. It’s very effective too.

Skills

Practise a skill until it becomes ingrained and it becomes permanent.
So let’s go back to my touch-typing skill. I consciously decided to practise and learn it. The skill now resides in my subconscious mind. It is muscle memory. It is now permanent.
What are the ways in which we can learn or unlearn? How can we consciously influence the subconscious so that it will change?
There are several ways to influence the subconscious, I explain these in my book Subconscious: How to Make Personal Development Permanent.