NLP Articles

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want or need to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Did you know that less than 10 % of people who set New Year's Resolutions actually achieve them? Ensure your success this year by following our ultimate A to Z guide to achieve what you want.

Act as if you already have it.

Often when we want something really badly, we have the “I’ve got to have it” feeling, creating a sense of lack in our neurology. Over time, we get familiar with that sense of lack, and because we like what is familiar, our neurology tries to hang on to it.

We can re-program our neurology by experiencing the feeling of having what you want. If tomorrow you’re going to have what you want, then practice feeling of having it today. Use your imagination and develop attitude of achiever. Take few minutes every day experiencing feeling of achieving your new year’s resolution. Do this routinely. Think and act successfully, even if you currently have not got resources. This simple exercise will accelerate achieving your goals.

Be very specific and ensure your new year’s resolutions are SMART.

Having more money, spending more time with a family, getting more fit or enjoying life more are examples of goals that are not specific enough. In fact, they are not goals, only mere wishes. Our mind and neurology are funny things. If you want to have more money and focus on it, you will find £5 note on the floor and your mind will think that your goal is achieved. Having more money by £5 is having more money, isn’t it?

SMART is a mnemonic used in goals setting worldwide. It is the way of evaluating if the goal has been set appropriately. Although SMART goals themselves do not guarantee results, in combination with NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) they are becoming powerful way of getting what we want.

Creating SMART goal:

Specific - Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. The more specific are your goals, more focused your mind becomes. To set a specific goal you must answer six “w” questions:

• Who: Who is involved?
• What: What do I want to accomplish?
• Where: Identify location
• When: Establish a time frame
• Which: Identify requirements and constraints
• Why: Specific reasons, purpose and benefits of achieving it.

Measurable – If you can’t measure it, you cannot manage it. Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur.

Attainable - Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won't commit to doing. Although you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it's too much for you means your unconscious mind will keep reminding you of this fact and will stop you from even giving it your best. A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. Ensure that you do not set small goals due to the self – initiated limitations (for example by adopting belief that you can never succeed)

Realistic – is not a synonymous to ‘easy’. Realistic goal means ‘do-able’ goal. A realistic goal may push your skills and knowledge, but it should not break you.

Timely - Set a timeframe for the goal. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. If you don't set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there's no urgency to start taking action now.

Calibrate on your results

Without calibration skills, you are driving blind. By making your goals very specific, you can track your progress and calibrate on results. Review your plan routinely. If you are not experiencing progress that you wished you would, be flexible to develop alternative options for getting back on track.

Develop your options by daydreaming!

Daydreaming or ‘mind-wondering’ is the impulsive thinking, creating, and recalling of images or experiences of the past or future. In simpler terms, you basically let your imagination run away with you. Daydreaming accesses right side of your brain, which is more creative and abstract thinking than our left, logical side of the brain.

Daydreaming can be beneficial in many ways, and paradoxically, it will boost your productivity and develop more options towards achieving your goals. Some scientists suggest that we daydream two thirds of our lives. So why not make your daydreaming productive? Allow yourself to daydream about what you want to achieve. Pretend that ‘everything is possible’. You will be surprised with ideas you’ll come out with.

Ensure you have evidence procedure for achieving your goal

Ask yourself: “What will I see, hear, feel etc. When I have it?” RAS is a mechanism of action part of our brain that always seeks to meet what we want. One of our previous students wanted to be ‘surrounded by money’ and ended up as a Securitas van driver! His evidence procedure was clearly not defined. Include your evidence procedure in your goal setting.

Focus on what you want and have faith!
All goals must be stated in positive. Set yourself goal of reaching desired weight instead loosing certain amount of pounds. Do want to earn x amount of money instead of getting out of the dept. By focusing on what we want as opposed to what we don’t want we force our neurology to adopt and match desired outcome.

Believe that you can achieve your goal and crave it passionately. Belief is a key ‘seed’ and will grow stronger daily. Thus have a great faith that you will achieve your goal.

Gain resources that are needed to achieve your goal.

Ask yourself what do you have now and what do you need to get to achieve your outcome. Have you ever had or done it before? What did you have then what you lack now? Do you know anyone who has done it before? Speak to them!

Have acceptance towards your current situation.

Specify your current situation and accept it. It may sound a little bit paradoxical, but acceptance of your current situation is like oil for frying. If you don’t feel happy about your current situation you need to sit down quietly and go through various strands of your situation and explore how they make you feel. You need to accept that there are no pre-determined conditions that make us feel happy or unhappy. Indulging ourselves in bad feeling about our current situation does not help. It is necessary to let go of an ongoing conflicts and internal fight to be able to move on towards what you want.

Invest in your goals wisely

You will not achieve your New Year’s Resolutions unless you invest your time and efforts in it. It is far more productive to have fewer compelling goals able to earn your commitment than many goals that are not 100 % desirable. If you have a goal that you feel very passionate about, you will make investments (whether it is time or money) that will be many times re-paid. Consider investing in NLP or other self development course to enable you to become a bullet proof goal setter and goal getter.

Jot all of your achievements down

The path towards achieving our goals is often not straight forward. Many people give up after few disappointments and accept what they learned to believe before making their new year’s resolution, such as ‘Whatever I do, is not good enough anyway’, or ‘I can never succeed’. Keeping an ‘achievement’ diary will remind you how much have you achieved already and will reinforce your belief that you can get what you want. Write down every single small success or achievement related to achieving your goal. You will be surprised how much this will boost your confidence and faith in achieving your final outcome.

Know the first step towards achieving your goal.

What is the very first step towards achieving your goal? Is it joining the health club? Is it preparing business plan? Is it planning the next week in regards to spending some quality time with your family? Specify the first step towards achieving your goal and do it now!

Look at your goals all the time

Gain or create visual reminders of your goal and surround yourself with them. These may be a one phrase sticky notes or pictures of desired items stuck on your bathroom mirror or laptop. These small reminders will keep your focus and motivation and they will act as subliminal messages for your unconscious mind. The rule of the thumb is: See your dream and the dream will happen.

Measure your motivation

It is very simple- if you do not feel motivated to achieve your goal, you will not achieve it. Achieving of our goals start with a single word – DESIRE. Does your new year’s resolution (or other goal) motivate you enough to take the necessary action? All goals need to be self initiated in order to remain motivated. Do the goal check. Before you decide on what you'll take on for the year, make certain you can answer, "YES!" to the following questions: "Am I the primary reason for setting this goal (vs. your mom, boyfriend, wife, boss, society)? Do I feel alive and energized by this goal? Is this goal in line with my life purpose or mission?"

We will not achieve our goals unless our values (or what is important to us) provide us with necessary kinaesthetic push towards achieving them.

Never let your goal to become a monster who consumes you.

Maintain balance in your life and enjoyment. It is essential to fit your plan to achieve your goal into the greater plan you have to live your life in balance.

So many people seem to forget this one, or they never learn it in the first place ... but one of the main reasons people fail to achieve goals is because they allow the attainment of that goal to swallow the other aspects of their life, creating a monster that they end up despising. This is especially true of the big goals, like losing 25 pounds, or eating healthier to overcome a disease, or getting a six-figure job, or writing a novel.

Be sure you leave time to explore new things in the world, to enjoy your family and meeting new people, to just do nothing and be in solitude, and to have fun. This balance is most crucial to achieving your new year’s resolutions and other goals ... and to a healthier, happier you!

Opportunities are everywhere – seize them with no hesitation.

By focusing on what you want, you will start to notice increased number of opportunities. Don't be paralyzed by fear, which prevents many people from living their dreams. Don't hesitate to take the steps necessary to achieve the goal. Never underestimate your own self worth. You are special and unique... and life gives us exactly what we expect from it. No more and no less.

Question for powerful outcomes

Ask yourself every day: “What have I done today to achieve my goal and what will I do tomorrow?” Take at least one action every day towards achieving your goal. Studies show that only a maximum of 33% goal setters consistently take the action. Maybe most of them do not know how to achieve their goals, or they never plan their goals. Without a way to walk closer to your goal, you will only be dreaming about the achievement. You have to be a dreamer as well as a doer to taste the achievement in reality.

Put all your doubts in bay!

Never ever, no matter what are your circumstances or how hard it seems to achieve your goal, doubt it. Doubts are the biggest enemy in achieving what we want. The secret to success is having a quantified goal and a deadline for achieving it. You will perhaps need some kind of change in your life to achieve your goals. Once set, your unconscious mind will work out the means to reach your goal.

Reward yourself and celebrate each success.

Small rewards will keep you motivated. Notice every success, even small one and reward yourself.

Surround yourself with support network

Who will support you? Even if you only make one or more family members or friends aware that you have set out upon this goal it is a powerful thing, as you have now created witnesses to your character. This only increases determination, strength, and focus; it is typically far easier to give up if we know no one else knew we started in the first place, so make sure someone else who cares about you knows.

Better still, if there is someone who might be willing to be your coach for the goal, ask them to be. Describe your desire to them, what you will feel like when you achieve your goal, then give them your plan for the goal and ask them to check you - or harass you - at every timeline of the task. Give them permission to figuratively whip you if you slack off, and to make sure you stick to the penalty you set for yourself. If the goal is important enough consider hiring someone trained to help such one of our coaches.

Also – always stay away from negative people or from those who have different definition for success. Surround yourself with likeminded people that can support you.

Take time to devise a plan for achieving your goals.

Reaching your goal, whatever it is, is a project. As with any project, you need to break it down into achievable steps. This must also include measurable targets and measurable results. Instead of "I want to be rich," establish a specific timeline with goals at one month, six months, one year, three years etc. When planning for achieving your goals, keep each component of it simple. Limit the definition of each task within the plan to one phrase, such as: “By September 30th I will generate £20 000 in passive income”

Utilise learning’s gained by not succeeding.

Remember, there is no failure, only feedback! Any instance of not succeeding can be turned into success. We always gain an experience and new information which we can use to re-evaluate our goals and adjust our plans.

Visualise achieving your goals

Take 10 minutes every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when your goals are actually realized. Visualization is a powerful tool in a goal personal planning and setting success process. This is a process of creating detailed mental images of what you want to achieve. Do you know the story about the group of basketball players who spent one hour visualizing making baskets, while another group actually practiced? The visualizing players had better seasons! So visualize yourself on New Year’s Eve 2009 with all your goals achieved. What would that look like? How would it feel? Visualize once a day and see the difference it can make in your life.

Dream board, dream book or dream folder can help you with the visualization in a goal personal planning and setting success process.

Write your goals down!

Putting your goals in writing imprints them in the unconscious mind.
In a fabled Harvard University study only three percent of Harvard students asked set and wrote goals on a regular basis. The stunning revelation of this study is that 30 years later, 50 percent of the total net worth of the group was held by just three percent of the group. You guessed it! They were the three percent that had a habit of setting and writing goals as students, and then continued to write goals and review them regularly.

Zoom achieving your goals by learning NLP.

The ability to create and maintain an outcome that meets certain well-formed conditions is an essential application of NLP (Neuro – Linguistic Programming). Study and application of NLP in your professional and business life can dramatically enhance your goal setting and goal getting abilities, because NLP is a way for people to become highly effective in any context. Learn more

Finally, as Zig Ziglar says, "A goal properly set is a goal halfway reached."
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