Repetition Reinforces Retention

Last updated: 29 March 2026 11:06
Created: 28 January 2014 06:16
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Holistic Lifestyle Tip #3

As I used to teach college human anatomy, I found myself telling this to my students all the time: repetition, reinforces, retention. Learning anatomy just required repeating, repeating and repeating. Now as I am teaching the law of attraction and meditation, on the other side of the spectrum, I still find this to be true.

Repeating pattern

If you want something to “stick”, you have to repeat it, repeat it and repeat it again, until it becomes natural for you. Repeat it until you form habits. Now this may sound discouraging but I actually like to think of it as being motivating. I know that if I just keep trying it, it will work. That is a basic Law of Attraction concept.

Caveat

If you are repeating something over and over again and you feel you are not getting results, then you may not be repeating what you think you are repeating. You may be repeating unsuccessful habits, such as self-defeating thoughts. For instance, let’s say you are trying to meditate and you can’t sit still for long periods of time. During the meditation, you constantly think you cannot do this. Even after your meditation practice, you repeat to yourself and everyone you know that you cannot meditate. You try and try again but are not finding that it is working. You then come to the conclusion that it is not working. In actuality, the concept repetition, reinforces, retention is working. What you are reinforcing and retaining are your self-defeating thoughts. When you start meditation or any lifestyle change, you have to go into it with an open mind. Try your best to be positive. Even if all you can muster is repeating, “I will eventually learn how to relax during meditation.”, that reinforces a positive aspect and YOU WILL be able to eventually relax into it. If you have self-repeating thoughts that you cannot do it, then so shall it be. When you repeat those thoughts, you are reinforcing your belief system that you cannot do it and that will be the end result.

Take this knowledge into your meditation as well as your holistic approach to life. You are going to need to practice, with a positive attitude, until the point that it becomes second-nature to you. Meditation and holistic lifestyle changes are just that, a lifestyle change. If you really want to reap the benefits of these practices, it is going to take a commitment to make these changes (including making changes to self-defeating thoughts). I say these words to you to help motivate you so that you know eventually it gets a lot easier. Eventually due to your repetitive nature and positive attitude, more neural networks are built in your brain which allows doing the task to become easier.

Let’s say that again

Repetition of thoughts whether they be supportive of your goals or not will reinforce retention of those thoughts. Knowing this it is important to address these repetitive thoughts. Thoughts affect your health (physically, emotionally and mentally). It is the mind-body connection.