All information that comes into our mind is filtered down in a number of different ways. The ‘N’ of NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, is all about our neurology, which is how we process information that comes into our mind, and what we do with it. We encounter an astounding two million bits of information per second; however our brain can only process 134 bits per second, and on top of this, our unconscious filters (for example our values and beliefs) filter it down even further.
It is within these unconscious filters that lurk those limiting beliefs that could be holding us back from achieving our full potential.
Many of us have made a decision that there are certain skill sets or roles within our business that we simply are not good at, or cannot do. Where this can become a significant issue is if it is preventing you from growing your business or even yourself. One very common example is when business owners have decided that they are not good at sales or marketing, or one of the other key areas that are vital to business generation and growth.
How many times do we hear, ‘Oh sales, I really can’t do sales. I feel uncomfortable, contrived, unnatural…’
In an instant…
The incredible thing about such a limiting belief is that it took an instant to create. Perhaps you had a negative experience with a bad sales call, or a deal fell through unexpectedly, and the limiting belief just grew from there. Well the good news is that it can also take an instant to get rid of it, using NLP techniques.
All behaviour is unconscious, and therefore all change is unconscious, and with NLP you can consciously make changes at the unconscious level. One of the things NLP can do is to change the internal representation (or picture) that you have in your mind of, for example, your selling skills, and change it from a negative to a positive, which will then affect your state, physiology and ultimately behaviour.
The above is an example of a technique that could be done in a coaching or training environment. For now, while you read this article, you could start with a simple exercise to help gain consciousness of all your limiting beliefs. After all, the first step to get rid of them is awareness.
Take some quiet time out and draw out a table with 5 columns.
- In the first column, write out a list of all the things you believe you cannot do, which will be affecting your business.
- In the second column, ask yourself, ‘When did I decide that?’ and respond to the question as quickly as possible.
- In the third column, write out all the things you can do, and are successful at in your business.
- In the fourth column, write down what the differences are, when you think of yourself doing that particular skills or role, in terms of what you see, hear or feel when you think of it.
- Finally in the fifth column, write out any learnings or insights you have gained from doing this exercise. Hopefully it will have at least made you think differently about your limiting beliefs.
We tend to create or choose our own abilities and our own limitations, and because we can create or choose them, it also means we can change them, to our benefit. We just need to know how.
