Practical reworking of the subconscious is an especially interesting area of the topic imho.
When you talk about the "heat seeking missile" effect and I talk about internal alignment, we are really talking about the same thing--the synergy that comes with being totally motivated to seek one's goal on all levels.
But how does one best communicate with the subconscious? What is the best way to 'program' the subconscious effectively for minimal self-sabotage and maximum alignment towards goals?
There are a lot of metaphors for the subconscious: inner child, secret self, loyal servant, dumb but powerful computer, etc.
I've found it most useful to think of my subconscious as a physical structure, like a building. Except in this case, the structure is inside my head, made up of electrical patterns and neuron pathways rather than steel or concrete.
When you create larger goals for yourself or expand your hierarchy of knowledge and internalized worldview, you add to this subconscious structure. When existing beliefs or patterns of habit are destroyed, parts of the existing structure are destroyed.
This is where the work comes in. If your new deeply held goal is to make a million dollars, that goal has to be effectively built into your subconscious structure. If it only stays in your conscious mind, it will remain superficial.
But when you start building the "addition," you run into problems--this new piece of the structure conflicts with existing ones: Love of quality time with family. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of hard work. Questions of morality in regards to excessive wealth. And so on.
There is physical work required in tearing down the old elements and building the new ones up. Dismantling one's pride and ego, for example, may amount to blowing up half the edifice with TNT. And constructing the new requires patience, time and heavy lifting as well. You have to find a logical way to make the additions "fit," which could take a significant amount of reworking and creativity. If you jury-rig it, the structure will be flimsy / unstable and will not hold up in a storm.
A structure powerful enough to facilitate stunning long term results must be anchored in many different areas: personal honesty, self worth, self purpose, life goals, relationship balance, philosophical beliefs, and so on. As well as a builder, one must be a skillful architect to achieve the extraordinary.
This is more than abstract for me personally--I have had to conduct major, major renovations on my internal structure over the years, in service to my evolving goals. (Seems like there is always hammering and sawing going on.)
Which leads to other useful questions: are you willing to pour a new foundation if necessary? Is your desire strong enough to root out every misconception, face every weakness, and perhaps even change who you are?
Can desire for something frivolous, like a certain quantity of money, ever be powerful enough to fuel that kind of change motivation in the first place?
Or must one go deeper?