7 Tips for the NLP Beginner, Recent NLP Graduate, or Anyone Interested in Mastery

Regardless of whether you’re new to NLP/Neuro-Semantics or if you’ve recently graduated from a course – you are probably aware that these fields offers a wide range of skills available to practice to the student interested in utilizing this amazing technology in their life.

With all of the different models, skills, language patterns, change processes, presuppositions, etc. it can get a bit overwhelming.

I know more than anyone how that could have slowed down a practitioner lesser than you…

But if you’ve somehow navigated your way to this page I have a feeling you aren’t the type of person who settles for less than mastery  😉

That being said I thought I’d leave some wisdom I’ve discovered over my past 15 years of NLP/Neuro-Semantic study, practice, and training.

Enjoy these 7 tips and tricks to make your learning process, and potentially your pathway to mastery, more manageable as well as enjoyable!

1. Stubbornly refuse to overwhelm yourself – How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time! Even just one part of a NLP course, such as the Meta-Model specificity questions or State Management, can be overwhelming if you attempt to master the entire skill-set at once. The primary task in learning any new process is to first break it down into workable chunks. If you feel overwhelmed with what you want to learn, break it down into smaller components! Instead of setting out to practice ‘the meta-model questions’ perhaps just focus on the Deletions. Still feeling a little overwhelmed?  Just pick ONE of the patterns of deletion and practice it.    If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed just chunk down your task to a smaller piece until it feels managable and focus on one piece at a time.

2. Pick somewhere and start! – If you have broken it down into manageable parts and are still feeling overwhelmed, it is most likely a matter of prioritization. You may be asking yourself, “Where do I start?” Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself to assist with this process:

• “Which part, if I start it now, will help the process of learning the other parts?”
• “What part will have the most impact on my life today?”
• “Which part will be the most fun to play with today?”

If I have great energy I will usually pick the skill that will give me the most growth. If I am low energy I will usually pick the skill that will be the most fun. If I can’t decide I just close my eyes and pick whatever my finger lands on and take immediate action!

3. Go out and practice – Turn the theory into reality! – Learning a new subject is great, but there is a big difference between effective understanding and effective action. Pick one of those small chunks, go out into the world and use your new skills… some of the skills can even be practiced while watching TV, at the store counter, people watching, or in a cafe/bar/social setting.  Get out your homework exercises and get your hands dirty.  Having a personal trainer writes you an exercise plan and walks you through it isn’t going to get you anywhere in terms of achieving your fitness goals.  The ONLY way to get results is to do the work – the more you practice the easier it gets and the more fulfilled & empowered you’ll feel.

4. Get Started IMMEDIATELY and Establish a routine – Your time on this earth is a limited resource – use it wisely.   The best time to implement a new learning/skill is immediately while the window of opportunity/possibility is open.  And while you’re at it – its better to establish a system/habit in your life so you can make the process of continual self-improvement automatic.  How do you do this? Establish a routine to practice, even if only for a short time. Its better to commit to 2 minutes a day and follow through then to commit to 30 minutes a day and not.  Make it a habit. You will eventually notice more and more opportunities to practice your new skills. I highly recommend applying the concept of Momentum Seeding to build a firm foundation and consistent implementation without any resistance.

5. Start with you, play with others – Personal power and internal congruency comes from ‘applying to self’ first. Upon finishing an NLP/NS training students tend to become most effective at the techniques that have had the most impact on their own lives. Experiencing it for yourself enriches your understanding of the tools and their benefits. Also, using such powerful tools on yourself is the best way to facilitate the personal change that will take your skills to the next level! And definitely re-explore some of the processes that had not impacted you as much as they could have and play around with those as well. Find playmates (whether fellow classmates, friends, family, etc.) and set regular times for running ‘experiments’ together. Not sure who to play with? Consider applying the Rings of Risk to safely branch out as your skills develop.

6. There is no failure, only feedback! – Use the feedback you receive to become more aware of what needs improvement, and always give yourself a pat on the back for your achievements and successes! The most important thing is practice, practice, practice.

7. And finally, enjoy yourself! – Have fun!  You will learn more, in a shorter period of time, and maintain the learning over a longer period of time if you have fun while doing it!  One of the ways I have been able to maintain a regular practice schedule and continual skill improvement over all of these years is that I have added rich pleasures to my experience of ‘practice’, ‘improvement’, and ‘mastery’ – and you can do the same. Here’s some additional resources to make your practice more in-joy-able.

I trust that you find these tips and tricks valuable and incorporate them into your life.  Not only do they apply to NLP, but anything else with which you would like to move toward mastery. May your journey to becoming more masterful as a communicator be rewarding and fun!