NLP Strategies for Impulsive Behaviour

NLP strategies are valuable for any impulsive behaviour. Why do some people shop till they drop? Because they use the wrong strategies.  When you understand the strategies of your (impulsive) behaviour, you will discover the key factors that drive what you do.  Then you will be able to choose whether to change your strategies and impulsive behaviour.

The four major categories of NLP strategies are:

• Decision
• Learning
• Motivation
• Belief

Well formed NLP strategies:

• have a clear definition of the goal you want to achieve
• have both internal and external forms of achieving the goal
• use 3 senses (seeing, hearing, feeling) or more to achieve the goal
• have a logical sequence and no missing steps
• have the least number of steps to achieve the goal
• produce action after a set number of steps / specific length of time
• have a natural test – operate – test – exit progression.

1. TEST = compare where you are now with where you want to be
2. OPERATE = do what you need to do to close the gap left by the comparison
3. TEST again from where you are now
4. EXIT

5 Ways to install NLP strategies:

• Role play
• Mental rehearsal
• Anchoring – associating one thing with another
• Reframing – giving a situation a different meaning
• Metaphor

3 Ways to change NLP strategies for impulsive behaviour and in general:

• Sequence: change the sequence / order of activities that make up the strategy
• State: change your physiological state of being
• Content: change the content of the strategy

The value of NLP strategies for impulsive behaviour and life:

When you understand your strategies, you will discover the key factor(s) driving your behavior.  And then you can choose whether to change your strategies.

Shopaholics, if you have a buying strategy that when you see something you like you buy it on impulse, this doesn’t work, because:

1. you see it – 2. you feel you want it – 3. you buy it

and so it’s missing some steps.  Insert some TEST step into the sequence, such as talk to yourself about whether you need / can afford it, think about the consequences, or make several comparisons before you buy it.  For example:

1. see it – 2. feel you want it – 3. ask yourself whether you need and can afford it – 4. compare it with more items – 5. feel you still want it – 6. buy it

And another thing about shopaholism is

context.  When you’re in the shop in the heat of the excitement and see the thing beautifully presented and strongly lit, you want it.  But the thing may lose its appeal 5 minutes after you bring it home, because you’ll bring the thing out of the context of the pretty shop environment and the heat of the moment will have cooled down.  With this contextual shift you may start perceiving the thing as just another thing to now have to keep… so better keep the receipt. Luckily it’s easy to return things nowadays.

Do you know someone who would benefit from some solid NLP strategies for their impulsive behaviour? Let’s talk about it.