We create change in our life on a daily basis.
How are you creating change in your life right now? Notice how you are doing this….
An NLP strategy for change which I use with my clients is called modelling. You can learn how to use modelling to fast track your new health behaviours and create long lasting change.
We all have areas of our life where we focus our attention and other areas which we tend to neglect. For example you may be spot on with your finances, monitoring your income and expenditure, but you take a more ad hoc approach to exercise and eating. Subsequently you may find it difficult to lose weight and may find that your motivation fluctuates.
It’s really interesting to notice the startegies which you apply in the areas of your life where you are achieving success so that you can model and map them across to the areas where you are less proficient.
What area of your life do you feel confident in managing? Perhaps you have created such effortless habits in these areas that they now require little or no thought at all. What would it be like if you could make all of your health changes so seamlessly?
For example, utilising the example above: you may monitor your cash flow on a daily basis and be mindful about your spending, checking your pay and expenses and the money coming in. You may use an app or online spreadsheet to track your accounts and check it at a specific time on each day.
It’s likely that your actions are linked with your values. Perhaps you recognise how keeping on top of your finances allows you to live the life that you enjoy, it helps you to feel happy. You are likely to hold beliefs related to this action, for example:
“money is important and by keeping a close eye on my money I feel more relaxed.”
When making any health change, I recommend utilising the following 3 step approach:
1. Make a plan
2. Develop empowering beliefs and take time to understand the bigger picture. Remember to note how your actions link with your values and connect you with what is important to you.
3. Check it, log it and make adjustments.
By monitoring your progress you are also training your mind to notice your health gains. You will find that your motivation strengthens and there is less resistance to action.
For example, if you want to become more physically active, it may help you to wear a pedometer and log how many steps you’ve taken at 3 points in the day, or check up how many times you interrupted your sitting patterns during your working day. You could also chart your mood and notice and really appreciate the gains which you are experiencing through comitimg to mindful living or meditation practice.
Whatever your goal, consider how achieving that goal links to the bigger picture. For example, how will being more relaxed improve your life? Perhaps you will find it easier to sleep. It is likely that you will notice how this has a positive impact on your mood all of which will inevitably impact on your relationships with those who are important to you. All these things will link with the core value of, in this example, happiness.
By linking the original action i.e taking a break to go for a walk with the outcome of feeling happier and enjoying quality relationships, you are far more likely to commit to and sustain your new behaviour.
Use my 3 step approach as a strategy to support you to generate your new health behaviours and embed life long habits in the most efficient way.
