While moving about this morning, I found myself reaching for an item I have kept in the same exact spot for the last 6 months. Finding that the item was not there, a revelation came to mind – that the subconscious mind is exactly like muscle memory (quiet, powerful, and automatic).

The subconscious doesn’t reason or analyze the way the conscious mind does. Instead, it absorbs patterns, especially those repeated often or tied to strong emotions. Thoughts, beliefs, reactions, and behaviors practiced consistently become embedded in our subconscious mind until they run on autopilot.

I was reminded that this is why:

• Certain habits feel hard to break
• Emotional reactions show up before logic kicks in
• We respond to situations the same way, even when we want to respond differently

Our subconscious is simply replaying what it has learned through repetition. 

Think about the first time you learned to drive, type, or ride a bike. Every movement at first demanded focus. We had to think through each step, consciously reminding ourselves what to do next. But with repetition, something shifted. Our bodies have learned, and eventually, we begin performing those actions without thinking at all.

Think of it in this way, just as your body remembers movements, your subconscious remembers meanings. If you’ve repeatedly told yourself, “I’m not good at this,” or experienced situations that reinforced fear, doubt, or inadequacy, those messages become default settings.

Note: the subconscious doesn’t decide whether something is helpful or harmful; it only remembers what has been reinforced.

Repetition Is the Key to Change

 On the other hand, confidence, discipline, resilience, and calm are also learned responses. When practiced intentionally, they become just as automatic. Here’s the empowering truth: muscle memory can be retrained, and so can the subconscious mind. 

As a coach, I work with my athletes to drill movements until they become second nature. I even remember how my middle school band teacher (Mr. Wesley E. Felix) had us rehearse scales until our fingers moved without instruction. In the same way, new thoughts, affirmations, behaviors, and emotional responses can be practiced until they replace old ones. 

Consistency matters more than intensity. Small, repeated actions, spoken words, daily habits, and intentional pauses all gradually rewire what feels natural.

Mind Training Is Life Training

What we practice internally shapes what we perform externally. Over time, our subconscious becomes our strongest ally or our loudest limiter, depending on what it’s been taught.

This is why self-awareness matters. When WE understand that many reactions are learned, not fixed, we gain the power to choose differently and practice something new.

As Scripture reminds us: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” — Proverbs 23:7

The heart, like the subconscious, reflects what has been planted and practiced.

For a Final Thought: Remember, we are not stuck with old patterns. Just as our body learned them, our mind can unlearn them. With #patience, #repetition, and #intention, we can train our subconscious the same way athletes and musicians train their bodies (on purpose, with direction and toward growth).

Until next time #LEAP #LESSONLEARNED