Last Updated on January 5, 2022 by Latrice
Have you ever kicked-ass at something for a few days, weeks, or months? You’ve done really well and thought you got a handle on making lasting changes. Then something happens and you’re knocked off.
Progress slows and soon you’re back up to your old habits. Doing stuff you thought you’ve put behind you, and eating crap you swore you were done with. You’ve pushed yourself for a bit, you worked hard for a bit, but you’re back to old habits.
I’m there. I kicked ass for a few weeks, stuck to my diet, and felt really good about my progress. And then the weekend dates and parties started to hit, knocking me off my discipline.
To be honest, I allowed them to. But why? Why is it we fall back into old habits despite doing well and making changes we said we wanted to see?
According to what I’ve been learning lately, it’s due to an outdated self-image.
What is a self-image
We act, behave and feel according to what we consider our SELF-IMAGE to be and we do not deviate from this pattern. – Dr. Maxwell Maltz
In the Born Rich workbook, it is also stated that
Dr. Maltz also explained that the image you hold of yourself is a premise, a base or a foundation upon which your entire personality is built. He concluded, this image not only controls your behavior, it controls your circumstances as well.
Our self-image is our foundation. It determines our actions and controls our circumstances.
If we’re finding ourselves falling back into old habits, sabotaging our progress, and getting lazy again, it’s because we need to do the work to change our self-image.
Why you need to change your self-image
I like how Bob Proctor breaks down this concept in his Born Rich workbook. He explains that the self-image is like having a set temperature (a set goal) that is maintained by sensors that detect deviation – cybernetics.
CYBERNETICS…is the science of control and communication in animal and some machines. It is based on the fact that both biological organisms and some machines have sensors that measure deviation from a set goal. These sensors signal “feedback” into a coordinating mechanism (your nervous system) which corrects the output or behavior of those same organisms or machines.
For instance, if you set the temperature of a room to 72 (set goal), and the room gets cooler than 72, the heater will turn on to get back to 72 degrees.
In us humans, our self-image is like a set temperature. When we deviate from our self-image, our behavior changes to get us back on track to our self-image (set goal). We get lazy on keeping up our new habits or we start cutting loose on our diets.
Changing our self-image is essential to making lasting progress and beating backsliding.
How to change your self-image
In Born Rich, Proctor explains that the process of changing one’s self-image takes a daily practice of visualization and journaling. As well as playing prosperity consciousness material daily.
Visualization is relaxing the mind and then getting a view of who you want to become. I’ve seen it explained as letting the image come to you and I’ve heard it explained as deliberately viewing yourself already doing, being, and having what you want.
I’m learning to visualize twice a day, writing my new self-image twice a day, and then learning to be more and more like her each day. I also look at my vision boards on Pinterest and in my Success Journal.
The change will take time
What I have to remember in all of this is that changing my self-image will take time. It won’t take a ridiculous amount of time, but it will take time.
Mistakes will be made and backsliding will happen, but it is up to the individual to remain persistent and to be expecting that growth and development.
That’s one of the major things I have to remind myself of so I’m not beating myself up. I didn’t become this person overnight, so it is highly likely it won’t take overnight to change. And it is ok to make mistakes. As long as I keep going and have faith, I will grow.
Resources
You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
Rev. Ike on Visualization
The Basic Laws of Attraction and Visualization (The Science Behind Visualization)
Visualization Begins with the Imagination (A Law of Attraction Principle)
Rev. Ike – Power of Visualization
The Formula of Prosperity and Happiness (with bonus visualization treatment)
The Visualization Treatment You Need to do Now For Health, Happiness, and Prosperity
