How to Practice NLP By Yourself Part 2
Author
Damon Cart
Date
Oct 12, 2015
Tags
General tips
Content
Author
By Logan Christopher
In the first article in this series we discussed a few ways you can do NLP drills on yourself and get both the benefits of the coach and the coachee.
And doing drills is just one part of NLP. Although it may be the most fun part, its hard to do these well if you don't understand the concepts and models of NLP. Found throughout are many different "models". The Meta Model, Milton Model, Sleight of Mouth, SOAR, etc.
Besides understanding cognitively the different pieces of each model, which can be done partially through study, the next step is to internalize these models.
Memorization and Recall
This requires memorizing and recall. You may not have studied quite like this since your days at school, but if you want to be good you need to be able to bring up the details of each model on command.
(If you happen to have some negative past anchors to studying and school like this, use some NLP drills to transform them. Instead of negative frames, surround this practice with "fun, exciting learning".)
Let's use the Meta Model as an example. After all this was the foundation of NLP. Do you know it? Really know it?
If I say Complex Equivalence do you know what I mean? Or do your eyes glaze over and you think I should know that? Or are you completely lost?
(NLP got a lot of its big words, including everything in the Meta Model, from transformational grammar. More than that patterns and listening to violations, it seems that these terms get people more confused than most. But truthfully, all it takes is some memorizing and you'll know each term, examples and how to use it.)
The great thing about memorization and recall is something that can be practiced by yourself. At least this helps to internalize the knowledge, with which you can then begin to better practice with other people.
Here is a great resource to do just that.
Meta and Milton Model Flash Cards
This free resource has all the Meta and Milton model patterns on digital flash cards with which to practice.
But don't just dive in. This is the method I used to "get the greatest benefit" out of the flash cards.
1) Do you have a cognitive understanding of the Meta Model? If not be sure to read the linked to article on that page for the basics.
2) When starting out keep the Example, Challenge and Definition showing and go through a bunch of cards. This way you get all the information and can become very familiar with them. These flash cards aren't just the meta model, but also include the extended meta model from Hall and the Milton model. In the beginning when using these cards I would just skip over all of these cards to focus on the original patterns. Otherwise there's a bit too much. But once you have that down, go ahead and start learning the rest. (It would be great if you could select which groups of cards you wanted to use, but alas, it is not so.)
3) When you're ready, stop showing the Challenge so that you can come up with it yourself. Make this fun and work to do 10-30 cards in a row without missing one. At any time click to show the answer and you'll learn that way.
4) When you're ready for the next step, only show the example. See if you can come up with the Definition and the Challenge. Once again try to do 10-30 cards in a row without missing one. At any time click to show the answer and you'll learn that way.
Flash cards are great for learning. You can make your own, and perhaps find other online resources too, for the other models of NLP you need to memorize. And of course there are other methods to memorize as well.
And knowing the patterns like the back of your hand, having them internalized, is a major step towards being able to use them with others and even yourself.
Damon Cart
Author
Damon Cart is considered to be a natural talent by some of the best NLP trainers in the world. His approach to guiding and teaching students brings to their awareness that they've been doing NLP all of their lives without realizing it and he empowers them with skills and resources to thrive and reach their full potential. With the understanding of how Neuro Linguistic Programs create oneβs experience a person can then take charge of those programs and create the experience and the life they want. By taking this approach into his own rigorous, daily NLP practice Damon has been able to rapidly accelerate his progress in learning, coaching clients and teaching workshops.
