Working with Habits - 1

• Hypnosis and Motivation.
• NLP Strategies.
• NLP Beliefs.
• NLP programming.

NLP Strategies

In NLP we talk a lot about these little strategies that we perform - specific routines for specific circumstances. Like "after you finish a dinner, get a cigarette". The NLP strategy is automatic, and fortunately - can be scrambled using simple techniques. Or replaced by the different ones. Or both.

Every morning I go from the bed directly to the bathroom. Do I ask myself, if I should brush my teeth today? No. I just do it as a habit. And it is good. And it is an example of a strategy. It has a Trigger (wake up), the Operation (go there, turn on water, take a toothbrush), the test (am I done?) and the exit point (which is a trigger for the "breakfast" strategy). By the way, all these little "go to the bathroom", "turn on the water", "take a brush" are strategies, too. They, too, can be scrambled. If you destroy my toothbrush, I will newer complete my strategy. If you only have spaghetti in the fridge, what will happen to the chocolate eating problem?

Keep in mind, that there was a reason for buying that much chocolate, on the first place. I mentioned stocking supplies for nuclear war, but it was more of a joke. You bought chocolate because you was planning to eat it! (surprise!) This is a strategy, too. We can change it to buying garlic, just to see what will happen. Imagine. A lot of work to do and the fridge, full of garlic...

Will you eat garlic? Because you still need a break, and chocolate has nothing to do with it. You may also remember, that garlic is very good for something, maybe even for brain activity. And you will still use each and every chance to get away from your work. Now, as an average person cannot eat too much garlic, I expect that new strategy to be slightly different, than in case of chocolate. Something like "get to the fridge, look at the garlic, inhale, exhale, get back to work". Same result achieved - you just got a break...

In NLP it is called Ecology. When we do something, we better make sure that it IS what the person need, and not what the person thinks he need. Otherwise we will probably have what is called a Replacement - garlic instead of chocolate, same structure of behavior. And if it happens, we may use all hypnosis motivation in the world and each and every nlp programming technique, too - it wouldn't help. Because we have one problem while trying to cure another. And that is why there are so many "lose weight in a week" formulas available and so many "quit smoking products" - they are only working if your personal ecology is respected. And if not...

You see, it IS possible to create (for example) a "slim fast diet plan" that will work GUARANTEED, because - provided that you don't have certain medical conditions - losing weight is a matter of doing two things in the same time: moving more and eating less. It is scientifically proven and it works... unless you sabotage it, as most people do. NLP can teach you how to solve this nasty puzzle.

What about the medical weight management tools, the "fat burning secret pills" that they advertize on each corner? They might help. Because they a) work and b) are more difficult to sabotage then more complex traditional techniques (but you still can deveop an allergy, or headache or simply forget to take them - people do it all the time). However as the underlying problem is not resolved - your unconscious mind will find some other way to achieve its hidden agenda. No smoking, huh? How about drinking? So you better fix the "root cause", then the symptom. Much cheaper, too.

Hypnosis Motivation: do it right

What else do we need? A propulsion system (term introduced by Richard Bandler). A special kind of strategy that pulls you towards your goal and in the same time pushes you from behind. I do it a lot in States of Power class, and I will do it here, too.

There is a slight difference between "I want to quit smoking because my doctor told me so", and "I want to quit smoking". Also there is a third type of "I want" statement - the one from State of Power. I want to do it because it is FUN. You will be surprised, but ANYTHING can be perceived as fun, including things that are "normally" perceived as punishment. Think "physical exercises". Is it fun? Or punishment? Some people do it for fun. Some people (in the military, for example) use it as a punishment. It all depends on your attitude - and we can change it in a drop of a head... sorry, hat. In a drop of a hat ;)

NLP Beliefs

One last (the most important, to tell the truth) thing. Beliefs. It is the most powerful roadblock that we created, or borrowed from someone else, or that just always was there.

Are you a smoker? Yes? It is a belief. And why would you stop smoking, if you are a smoker? That's what smokers do - they smoke! Until they bump into the NLP programming technique that teashes them how to change it to "sometimes I smoke when I want" or even to "I used to be a smoker, but not anymore".

Do you have extra weight? Can you get rid of it? No? Remember, when you walk by the street, and the guy looks at you asking "can you spare some change, please?" And you say "no", because it is YOUR change...

Our unconscious mind is not mean, it just is protecting us. And it knows that to give something away is bad... So we need to convince it to give away some weight. To loose some weight... LOOSE?! Your unconscious mind LOVES you, it does not want you to be a looser! If gaining is good, and loosing is bad, your unconscious will rather help you to gain weight, unless you help it to understand... And unless you know exactly what you want. So - watch not only your mouth, but even your thoughts. Never complain, always look forward to changes.

Credits for the techniques that I am going to use I would like to provide now, so that I don't have to break your state every time I am introducing some new trick.

Credits: Richard Bandler, John Gringer, Robert Dilts, Tad James and Tony Robbins. And myself, too.

Also remember, that no matter how good NLP techniques are, they all have one flaw that cannot be fixed. They only work when you apply them.

NLP Programming

That's about it. All we need. Before I continue to the NLP Programming techniques, there is one important detail about this text. You see, I have already explained all "theory" in the NLP, Hypnosis, Power and other web pages and eBooks on this site. There is no need to repeat myself, and unless I feel like doing so - I wouldn't. I will just provide practical techniques, that may or may not remind the fast weight loss tips or smoking quit tips that you expect, but they work and this is an important part.

And if you SUDDENLY STOP SMOKING, or whatever it is you want to change, you will have no choice, but to read the rest of information on this site just to understand what had just happened... manipulative... am I not?

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