Priming – What It Is and Why We Should Do It

We all have old patterns; well-worn paths of how we think and how we do things. In fact, it’s these old patterns that have created the life we are currently living. But what if we want more? What if we dream of a different reality? What if we want a life that is more fulfilling in every aspect of our lives?

They say the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things and expecting different results. By this definition, it seems that many of us are insane. We often think, “If I just work a little harder or longer, I will reach my goals.” Instead, even if we make progress, we often end up so burnt out that our success isn’t even sustainable.

When we are stuck in old patterns, we need a pattern interrupt; and priming can be that for us. 

I want to share what priming is, why it is so powerful and how to go about it.

Priming is a way of starting your day with intention.

When you have a specific practice that helps you start the day on the right foot, it will keep you from unconsciously repeating old patterns. Priming helps you change your thinking, so you can make lasting changes.

There are lots of ways to start your day with priming. Here are 5 that I  recommend trying:

1. In many cultures, the new day starts the night before. Before bedtime, set an intention of how you want to sleep or feel when you wake up: “I will wake up feeling well rested and enthusiastic about my day.”
2. When you wake up, notice what your usual first thought of the day is and replace it with one you have designed.  It could be, “It’s a brand new baby day that I get to live!”  That will remind you that not everyone woke up today--but you did. How do you want to be during this never before lived day--this day you won’t get back in all of eternity?
3. Next, go to gratitude – write down and most importantly feel what you have in your life to be grateful for. Gratitude can lift our spirits immediately. If you’re not feeling that you have anything to be grateful for, go to the basics: You can see and hear; you have clean hot and cold water right down the hall; and so much more.
4. Next, decide who you are going to be today. What are a few of the qualities you want to practice emulating throughout the day? It could be to be a good listener, or to set boundaries; perhaps to nicely, but without apology, say no when you don’t want to do something; or how about to go through your day with a calm confidence?
5. And the last thing is to relate to your vision of the life you’d love to be living and to feel as though you have already achieved the goals you have set. Go about your day from this new feeling. It will attract new ideas and open up your conscious mind to taking different action steps.

You can do all of this in 10 minutes. You may be thinking, "I don’t have an extra 10 minutes in the morning." The truth is, we make time for what’s important to us. If your child or spouse needed to go to the doctor, you would find the time to take them. You need to know you are worth it!

My invitation to you is to do a 30-day experiment with priming and see if you feel any differently. Remember, when we are looking for a different outcome, priming has the ability to change our results. Priming can help us become the person we are meant to be and help us on the path of living a life we would love.

Here's to your dream,

Cyn

PS - If you want to learn more ways to master your mindset, schedule a FREE Discovery Session with me today! Click here for details.