Why You Know What to Do, But Still Don’t Do It

Written by Gacia Tokajian, Life and Mindset Coach Gacia Tokajian is a certified life and mindset coach and founder of GT Coaching, where she empowers individuals through personalized 1:1 coaching to gain clarity, direction, and create a life aligned with their values.

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Have you ever been in a situation where what you know and what you do just aren’t aligning? You know you should be taking certain actions or changing certain habits, yet, for some reason, you keep doing the same thing over and over again. 

You tell yourself:

“I should start exercising.” 

"I need to quit smoking.” 

“I’ll sleep earlier, eat healthier, etc...” 

But nothing changes. And of course, we’ve all used the infamous phrase: “I’ll just start tomorrow.” 

Yet somehow, that tomorrow never quite arrives. You end up experiencing what feels like déjà vu: the same cycle playing out the next day, and the next, until months, even years, go by, with so little shifting. 

Before you start telling yourself, “Yeah, that’s me. I’m just not disciplined enough. I’m lazy. I procrastinate. That’s just how I am...” Let me stop you right there. 

Here’s what’s really happening:

Your subconscious mind is screaming for a software update, just like your phone. But before we get into how to do that, let me share a few key points about how your mind works. 

Understanding the conscious vs. subconscious mind 

According to Dr. Joseph Murphy in his classic book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, the mind operates on two levels: 

• The conscious mind, also called the objective mind, which some neuroscientists say is responsible for only 5% of our mental activity. 

• The subconscious mind, or subjective mind, governs the remaining 95%. 

  
  

Let’s break this down a little more. 

Dr. Murphy explains that the conscious mind is our reasoning mind. It’s where our thoughts live, where we make choices and decisions, accept and reject ideas, and originate thoughts. It learns through education, experience, and observation. 

Everything we expose ourselves to through our five senses, what we watch, hear, and read, feeds into our conscious mind, shaping the thoughts we dwell on. 

Then there’s the subconscious mind, what Murphy calls the emotional mind. It stores our beliefs, values, self-image, memories, and past experiences. All of which is shaped early on by our upbringing, family dynamics, schooling, culture, and environment.

Here’s the tricky part:

The subconscious mind only accepts ideas; it doesn’t evaluate them the way the conscious mind does. So, whatever belief you repeat (good or bad) often enough, your subconscious accepts it as truth and begins to act on it accordingly. 

How your beliefs shape your reality 

You might be thinking, “Okay, interesting, but how does this relate to my current reality?” 

Here’s how:

Dr. Murphy highlights that whatever the conscious mind assumes to be true, the subconscious mind accepts and acts on it. 

Bob Proctor, another widely respected mind expert, put it this way: 

Your mind receives input through your five senses (conscious mind), triggering emotional responses (subconscious mind), which in turn drive your behaviours. 

Think of a time someone complimented your work. And your response was something like: 

“Oh, no, it’s not a big deal.” 

“Honestly, it didn’t turn out how I wanted.” 

“Thanks... I think it could’ve been better.” 

At that moment, your conscious mind rejected the compliment, triggering feelings of discomfort. Why? Because the idea didn’t align with a belief you have about yourself stored in your subconscious, maybe something like: 

“I’m not good enough.” 

“I don’t deserve praise.” 

“I’m not that talented.” 

This means that everything you’re experiencing right now is based on the thoughts you’ve been thinking repeatedly, which your subconscious has accepted as true over time, turning them into beliefs and creating experiences that match them. 

If you believe

• Life is hard 

• People can’t be trusted 

• You’re unlucky, lazy, or incapable of change 

  
  

Then those beliefs will continuously shape the experiences you attract. But here’s the good news: It’s not a dead end. 

Remember, your conscious mind holds the power to create new ideas, new beliefs. As Bob Proctor says:

"You don’t create anything by wishing or hoping. It’s a belief."

So, if you want to shift your outer world, you have to begin by shifting what you choose to believe about yourself, your work, your income, your relationships... and your potential. 

Ready for the software update? 

Here’s a 4-step process to help you begin to rewire the way your mind works: 

1. Create awareness

You can’t change what you don’t know. So, start by noticing an area of your life where you feel constantly challenged or stuck. 

Example: 

Maybe you consistently struggle to commit to an exercise routine.

2. Identify the belief

Once you’ve brought awareness to that area, ask: 

• What am I choosing to believe about this part of my life? 

• Where did this belief come from? 

• Is it still valid? 

• Do I want to continue holding onto it? 

• What emotions does this belief trigger in my body? 

Example: You might uncover subconscious beliefs like: 

“I’m not the kind of person who works out.” 

“I always quit eventually.” 

“I’m not athletic.” 

“I don’t have time.” 

3. Create a new belief 

Ask yourself: 

• What do I want to experience instead? 

• What belief would support that experience? 

• How would I feel if this area of my life were exactly as I wanted it to be? 

Example:

“I choose to believe I’m becoming someone who enjoys moving their body.” 

“I can start with 10 minutes of exercise a day.” 

“Movement helps me feel energized and alive.”

4. Take aligned action 

What’s one small step you can take today? 

Start small but stay consistent. 

And as you take action, reinforce the new belief. Every time the old thoughts creep in, and they will, pause, catch them, and consciously reaffirm the new belief. Again. And again. And again.

Your subconscious mind learns through repetition. You've been repeating beliefs like “I’m not good enough” or “This is too hard” for years. So be patient and compassionate with yourself while rewiring. 

Bringing it full circle 

Can you now better understand why you sometimes know what you should do but can’t seem to do it? Because knowing happens at the conscious level. But doing happens at the subconscious level. 

And all your current behaviours are simply a reflection of the thought and belief patterns rooted in your subconscious mind. 

If you want your subconscious mind to work for you, it needs the right instructions, clear, consistent, and aligned. 

In relatable terms: Just like your phone, if you want it to run smoothly and unlock new features, you’ve got to update the software frequently. 

So, let me ask you: 

What beliefs, habits, and thought patterns are no longer in harmony with what you truly want to experience in life? 

To end this, let me leave you with one final quote from Dr. Murphy’s book:

"You have the capacity to choose. Choose life. Choose love. Choose health."

If this resonates with you and you're feeling ready to begin your own inner shift, I’d love to support you on that journey. Feel free to reach out and connect with us. Sometimes, one conversation is all it takes to start creating lasting change. 

From my heart to yours, I send you love, and I wish you a beautiful day!

Follow me on Instagram for more info!

Read more from Gacia Tokajian

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Gacia Tokajian, Life and Mindset Coach

Gacia Tokajian is a Jay Shetty-certified Life and Mindset Coach. Her journey into personal development began nine years ago after experiencing anorexia, which led her to explore the deeper root causes beneath the symptoms. Through years of training, workshops, and inner work, she transformed her life, moving from a place of feeling stuck and frustrated to cultivating peace, self-love, and self-acceptance. Today, she guides others on their own path of reconnection, helping them rewrite life stories that feel aligned and empowering.