One of the things NLP does is to show you how your mind creates the neural routes by which you behave in your daily life. My favorite metaphor exemplifying this is a groove created by the water. It rains. The water goes down a certain way. It rains again – the water goes down the same path. After many times, the rain created a groove, a ditch and now it will always go down that path. This is exactly what’s happening in your bran. But as the ditch can be changed (filled up with dirt or cement), so can your neural paths in your brain. In fact your brain is changing all the time the big name for it is “neuroplasticity of the brain”.
As most of you know, it can take a long time to get rid of a bad habit. This is because you’re doing it automatically (unconsciously). Well, in NLP and especially Time Line Therapy®, a habit can disappear in 10 minutes. Gone. Forever. And for those of you already NLP trained you know that I refer to techniques like Swish, Anchoring, or submodalities change.
But here are some ways to train your mind differently (and it is all in your power to do it now). No, I am not talking about affirmations. These can work but it will take anywhere between 3-6 months or more to achieve the desired result. Results may also vary depending on your ability to focus on the affirmation. Or you can try this and it can go away immediately.
1. Make Sure You Know Exactly What The Behavior (The Habit) Is That You Want To Change
I am fond of using the expression “you need to want to and not want-to-want-to”. Sometimes people say they want to change something because they get the feedback from others that they have a bad habit. So their motivation is external. Deep down they don’t really care. This makes a gigantic difference. If you are congruent consciously AND unconsciously that you want to change something and there is no part of you that is resistant to that change, you’re ready to go.
2. To Get There You Must Know What The Old Habit Is Providing You With.
In NLP we call this secondary gain. What is it giving you? What’s its purpose?For example when people are addicted to certain foods they replace something lacking in their life with that food. (IE. comfort, sweetness in life, pleasure, love, or even safety). This is best done by keeping a list of what were you thinking and feeling when just before you ate that food. This will bring into consciousness the unconscious behavior.
3. Notice the Mental Image
This is simple to do, but you must be precise. Here is the question to ask yourself: “As I think of how much I like this food, do I have a picture in my mind?” (BTW everybody has a picture in their mind). Close your eyes if you need to. VERY IMPORTANT: Notice where is that picture. Far away? Close? Up on your imaginary inner screen? Low on the screen? In the middle?
4. Change the Mental Image
Now, take that imaginary picture and move it far away, 25 feet (10 meters) away, make it really small (like a postage stamp) make it black, and leave it there. Stick it there with superglue.
5. Focus on Something Else You Would Like To Do Instead Of the Old Habit
Imagine something else you like a lot. Something healthy and positive for you. What’s the picture of that? Notice it. Then make it so you like it a lot. Bring it close to you, make it in beautiful colors and notice how good that feels.
6. Optional. Do Time Line Therapy® To Let Go Of the Need to Have That Habit
If you know Time Line Therapy®, do the Limiting Decisions process on the very first time you had that habit/behavior.
7. Think of What Will You Do Instead In The Future
Imagine in the future (one month from now, 6 months from now, one year from now, 5 years from now) what will you do instead of your bad habit. And here folks again you must be specific. (“Everything will be all right” is not good enough.)
Good Luck! Let me know if you have questions about this technique. Leave me an answer below.
Until next time be well
10 Comments
Brett Ellis
Great process, fast and easy to do! I was eating bad food (in small amounts – maybe a couple of weeks apart) because I didn’t have someone to express my inner thoughts with. I sent the picture out 25 – 30 meters, blacked it out, made it small like a postage stamp and stuck it there with 3 pack resign and fiberglass.
Then I replaced it with a picture of me writing my thoughts down on paper, made the picture big and bright, right up close, then I tested. I love to write and all I could see was me writing down my thoughts, smiling and feeling good!
I tested out into my future 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and even 5 years! The writing has piled up, growing each time and at 5 years out I’ve written enough for a book!
Fini Todd
Looking forward to the book Brett 🙂
Brett Ellis
Thanks Fini – I will make you one of the first to receive a copy!! Hey, you could proof read it for me and write a forward on it!!! 🙂
Fini Todd
Deal 😉
Fini Todd
I have used this process to stop drinking milk, amongst other things. I only drank milk with my coffee but wanted to stop it all together. So I used the NLP like to dislike process and changed the picture of the milky coffee to a picture of snoty, phlegmy, greeny stuff in my coffee cup (sorry I’m a nurse hahaha). I also zoomed it out, blacked it out and stuck it far away tiny in the corner and zoomed in a picture of bright, warm, nice smelling black coffee that I felt really good about drinking. And I can re fresh this process quickly and easily whenever I need!
Marret
My problem is that I love sweets in general. I cannot think just ONE. I have many… I was told I have to be very specific to use NLP, so I should choose only one at a time. Is it true? My desire is to eat any sweet, so, if I just do for some sweets, I’ll go to the next one… not a particular one where I could anchor to something healthier. Any suggestion?
Brett Ellis
Hi Marret, – Great questions!!
Correct, it is true to use this technique for one specific sweet or unwanted behavior at a time! You could start by using this technique with the sweet that you eat most often or like the most and then go to the next sweet that you next most like and so on. There is NO rush! You can make the change with each sweet before you would have usually ate it! Even one day at a time!
You could also notice as you’ve made those changes that after you’ve changed a few unwanted behaviors, your body may just get the message that you’re done with eating sweets altogether or not! Follow the article steps that Adriana has laid out – importantly getting each of the 7 steps set in your mind.
In reply to: “if I just do for some sweets, I’ll go to the next one… not a particular one where I could anchor to something healthier.” – If you use this technique to stop eating one sweet then you can use it for any unwanted behavior to next, sweets or not! You can use this technique and get the results you want quicker than doing the old unwanted behavior!
You can also trust your unconscious mind in the process by imagining something healthier you’d like to do instead. Give it a go! It could be something other than eating but, your unconscious mind may know best what that will be?!? The new desired behavior could be the same one you use to anchor each time you make the change or you could choose another desired behavior with each change you’ve made, it’s up to you!
See how you go and post another comment with your results – until then Adriana may have further feedback for you when she reads your comment. I hope this helps you get the results you’re looking for! 🙂
Sophie Hills
I have been procrastinating about starting my exercise routine, and always made excuses such as I am too tired.
I have just completed the process in this article and I am excited about exercising finally, and I can see myself smiling, looking fabulous and feeling wonderful.
Thanks Adriana!!!
NLP NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 273
[…] 7 NLP Ways to Train Your Brain in Positive Ways – The brain, like all other parts of the body, needs training to function optimally. So how do we exercise the brain? We know that we need to visit the gym to train our muscles, but what techniques do we use to create positive outcomes with our mind and our thinking? Take a look at this week’s first article by Dr. Adriana James as it gives you 7 easy ways that you can use right now to create positive habits. […]
Jefferson Duval
Thanks Adriana,
I’m appreciating this article and others in how they are simple and direct, bringing focus to teaching elements of the Practitioner Training as well!
Jefferson