NLP Exercise for Self Development

Self Development

Here is an NLP exercise that is a really easy and effective technique you can learn and apply every day on any number of problem areas. If you’re anxious about something - try this. If someone gets you really angry - try this. If you have to do something that needs more confidence than you believe you have - try this.

This NLP technique is very useful when you want to change a negative feeling you have about something, or change your approach to something. It’s easy to hear how “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting on what you’ve always got”, but it’s not always easy to change what we do. Self development requires work and attention, but it doesn’t have to be hard work.

If you have an issue that causes you a problem (e.g. a colleague who “rubs you the wrong way”, or recurring problem that never seems to change for you no matter how many times you tackle it) here is one way of dealing with it:

Picture the problem, whether it be a person or event. Bring it to mind as fully and accurately as you can. Make it as clear as if it was happening now. Give it the colours, sounds, movement, smells etc. that the real situation would have.
When you have an accurate visualization of the problem - change the elements of the picture. So - if the image is big, horribly real-life size, movie-like and loud, then move the picture far, far away. Turn down the volume on the picture. If it was a movie, then make it still. Drain all the colour out of it. Allow the accompanying emotion also move far away, grow paler and quieter.
Notice how much differently you feel about it as a tiny image, far away, black & white, silent and still.
Repeat the process, changing the picture/visualization of the image or event, weakening it, paling it out and allowing your emotional response to it to weaken too.
When you’ve repeated this a few times, test it by bringing to mind the original problem. Now how much better do you feel about it?

You can do this with anything at all. If you have to make a speech or presentation, if you have to face someone who intimidates you, if you have to chair a meeting of your peers, if you need to remove the anxiety you feel at some forthcoming event - you can use this exercise.

The trick is to repeat it as often as you feel the need. Consider it your daily self development boost. Never underestimate the power of such a simple personal improvement technique.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 4:12 pm and is filed under NLP, Self Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “NLP Exercise for Self Development”

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July 13th, 2009 at 2:56 am
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January 29th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
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