When I was studying to become a coach, I came across an incredibly impactful and eye-opening teaching about the subconscious mind. It really helped me see why there seemed to be a ceiling on my success, and how I could change it.

It begins with two main principles, (which I will go on to explain with examples):

#1 Our results are largely determined by the beliefs that live in our subconscious mind, not the wants in our intellect.

#2 Our subconscious beliefs act as a cybernetic system, like a thermostat. And just like a thermostat, our subconscious adjusts for variants. This means, that if we step outside of our set point, (our “usual” or “normal” thoughts, feelings and behavior), its job is to return us us back to that set point, which ultimately determines the results we create in our life.  

So the key is, to change our results, we have to change the set point of our beliefs – our “success thermostat.”

For example, when I was in my 20’s and early 30’s, I didn’t date a lot, but all the romantic relationships I did attract seemed to last only so long. I’d fall “full on” in love, then get my heart broken. 

If they lasted a year, I considered that a long time.  And right before I met the man whom I eventually married, I swore that I’d never meet anyone for me in NYC, where I was living at the time. 

What I discovered later on is that I’d had a belief that said, “I don’t deserve to have long term love in my life. Somehow I’m fundamentally flawed and eventually I’ll be abandoned.” 

This belief acted as a thermostat for the amount of love I allowed in my life.  

As my career in professional dance came to an end, I involved myself in acting. Pretty soon, some really good opportunities came my way.  I wasn’t accustomed to this level of success so I sabotaged myself, letting those opportunities pass me by. 

This principle of the subconscious thermostat also applies to the amount of money, fun, ease and opportunity we allow into our experience. And in my case, it seemed to work against me for much of my young adult life.  

But knowing how it works is actually the biggest gift, because you and I can change our beliefs, expand our “success thermostat” and align with the results we really do want to experience.

The key is growing our awareness.

“There’s never a time problem. There’s never a money problem. If there appears to be a problem in either time or money, it’s always an awareness problem.”  -Mary Morrissey

Our current level of awareness sets our inner “success thermostat”.

To recap: in order to change our subconscious set point or “success thermostat”, and uplevel our results, we must change our beliefs. We do this by expanding our awareness – about ourselves, the world and our unlimited potential.