Autosuggestion. What is it, and how am I taking it to the next level?
Intro
The Oxford dictionary describes autosuggestion as "the hypnotic or subconscious adoption of an idea which one has originated oneself."
In other words, you can change the way you see yourself and, therefore, your results by simply running a new "software" in your subconscious mind.
Here's how you can make that happen.
Autosuggestion is the fastest way to change your mindset and self-image.
My Story
At the beginning of 2014, I was at a crossroads.
I was already working in digital marketing, but I was still playing electronic music, and I needed to make up my mind: should I stick to music, or should I go all-in with my business?
Eventually, I decided to double down on business, but one problem still remained.
I couldn't get myself to stay consistent with my work and motivation.
So I decided to do some online research to find ways to rewire my brain to seek business growth instead of listening to music and watching TV.
The research took me to a book (Think and Grow Rich) and several blog posts that mentioned autosuggestion as the most effective way to reprogram your subconscious on demand.
The way to gain clarity is by designing your future in detail and executing on it.
How Does Autosuggestion Work?
The concept is very simple.
First, you pay attention to your self-talk and guard it against negative thought patterns.
Then you introduce positive affirmations that are in line with the state of mind you want to achieve (i.e., if you are trying to lose 100 lb, you can read or repeat to yourself something like, "I'm lean, strong, and I can easily complete a 60-minute workout every single day).
And finally, you repeat the process multiple times a day and use repetition as a way to lock yourself in that self-induced mood.
And so, armed with this idea, I took some time to think about a few different ways I could use it to improve my self-image and results.
The first thing I did was write a $1,000,000 check for business services rendered and I put it into my wallet.
I did that in 2014, but as I learned over the following months, that wasn't enough.
Sure, I did bring it with me everywhere I went, but soon it ended up being just another piece of paper in my wallet, along with random receipts and business cards.
The only time I saw it was when I'd clean up my wallet from all the extra crap I carried around.
The more reminders you set, the less effective they become.
Taking it one step further
That's when I decided to step up my game and got an agenda. It was the end of 2014, and I felt so organized for the first few days.
I'd wake up and write my goals and a short affirmation.
This time, I could stick to this habit for a few months!
After all, I left the agenda beside my computer keyboard on my desk, so I saw it every day.
But this time, I encountered another problem.
Every time I'd sit down, I'd write a slightly different goal, so my subconscious mind would be in a slightly different state every day.
Now I needed a way to keep my focus on one big idea that I could carry in my subconscious for months (and years) on end.
But to do that, I needed to figure out two things:
How can I capture all my goals and aspiration in one simple, memorable idea?
Where can I write this idea, so I see it as often as possible?
Let's unpack the first point. Of course, the logical thing to do is look for common denominators with all my goals.
But because some of them were business-related and others were about personal life and fitness, I couldn't find any combined keywords that could express the essence of all of them.
Sure, I could have settled for a word like "success," but it would have been too vague to trigger an emotional response.
Words can’t encompass broad concepts. You need a better way to remind yourself what’s important.
The realization
But then it dawned upon me that I was searching for the wrong thing.
All along, I was focused on the final destination without paying attention to the day-to-day process I needed to follow to get the desired results.
So what processes allow me (and you) to get results in life?
First process
The first one is a crystal clear vision of where you want to be.
Whether you want to scale a business or become a pro athlete, you need to know where you are going.
The clearer the image of your future achievement, the more emotionally involved you will be with it.
This step is also called visualization, and we'll cover it in more detail in a blog post soon.
Second process
The second process is to adopt a set of high-performance habits to quite literally put your life on autopilot.
The goal is never to have to think about taking useful action again. For example, do you need to lose weight?
Great! Turn a (sustainable) exercise and diet routine into a habit, and boom! You're set.
Do you need to grow your business?
Then set up a daily 90-minute cold outreach routine into a habit and watch your calendar fill up with sales calls.
You get the idea.
Third process
The third one is to spend at least 90 minutes a day in a state of deep, relaxed focus, also known as Flow.
We'll also cover Flow in another blog post, but for now, think about Flow as the state of mind you are in when your friend tells you, "wow, I called you twice, and you didn't answer! You must have been in the zone!"
When you work in such a state, you tap into your most creative and energetic state of mind.
That means you can create hours' worth of work in a lot less time.
Fourth process
And finally, I needed to remind myself to stay centered and not let my mind run freely.
I have a history of overthinking and anxiety, so if I don't keep my mind in check, I'll find myself up at 3 am playing movies in my head.
That's why I need to meditate for at least 10 minutes daily.
Now that I had isolated these four concepts, I wrote them down on a sheet on my desk, and I promised myself not to start working until I had read them all out loud.
The results
That turned out to be the tipping point in my business. By repeating the following sentences, it's as if I slowly believed I was that person.
"I am a remote CEO; I live between North America and Europe and have a large remote team."
"I am a great salesperson, I have an amazing product, and I have no problem convincing my prospects to work with me, even when they tell me they're not interested."
"I value my focused time, and I seek to enter a state of flow every day to produce great work that will stand the test of time."
"I value and respect my mental well-being; I meditate daily."
This small daily exercise has been, for the most part, responsible for the results I have gotten up to last year. But that's not it!
As time passed, my goals evolved, and instead of only looking forward to traveling and working remotely, I now wanted to have a multiple-7-figure business and become an internationally recognized author.
Taking it to the next level
So to keep up with the bigger goals, I went all out and decided to get a full-sleeve tattoo! So now, before you close this page, keep the following in mind.
These concepts are not time-bound goals. Instead, they are timeless truths I learned over the years that I want to live by until I take my last breath.
I was already in the market for a big tattoo, so this was, by far, the best tattoo idea.
So, let's get to the point. How did my life change since?
It just took off! See... Up to that point, reading those concepts at my desk felt like an exercise.
I needed to be in my office to even look at that sheet. But now, these ideas feel like they are part of me at a very deep level.
I see the symbols and read the words about 30 to 40 times a day.
They're the first thing I see when I wake up, and since I type for a living, I glance at my wrists multiple times every hour.
The constant repetition drilled into my subconscious a new personality. So let's look at the practical results now.
I wake up between 4:30 and 5:00 seven days a week without an alarm.
I work out and do yoga six days a week, with no exceptions.
I eat healthily and sleep early every day (90% of the time!)
I write at least 1000 words daily, and I'm on pace to finish two books this year.
I consistently spend quality time with my wife and daughter.
I'm a consistent leader to a big remote team that can count on me.
Final Thoughts on Autogestion
Long story short, I'm a new person.
I have never felt so good about my lifestyle, and I know it's mainly because my self-image has undergone a massive shift since I marked my skin with these powerful ideas.
Does this mean you need to get inked to see results?
Absolutely not! There are plenty of people getting fantastic results without even practicing autosuggestion.
But I wanted to share this story with you because I believe there's still a taboo around making out-of-the-ordinary decisions in a professional environment, and I want to change that.
Like Grant Cardone says, "Be obsessed or be average!"
If you want success in all areas of your life, you must go all-in.
To me, going all-in meant getting a tattoo of those ideas I already held dear in my heart.
To you, it may mean something else.
Maybe it means selling everything and moving to a bigger city to feel more stimulated.
Or selling your house to fund your new business (I did that too.)
But whatever your "next level" is, don't be afraid to embrace it.
If you plan on playing this game for the rest of your life, what do you have to lose?
