| This is a great technique taught to me by my friend | | | | Maybe the new capability you need is not as easily |
| Dr. Will Horton. He calls this the Logical Levels | | | | definable as a new career but instead requires a new |
| technique. This is how it works. | | | | mind-set or strategy. For instance, if losing weight is |
| Pick one of your most important goals. | | | | your goal, you’ll want to adapt new strategies |
| Imagine that on the floor on front of you are six | | | | for eating as we explored in the chapter on Setting |
| sequential squares in a straight line. This might look | | | | New Strategies. If getting out of debt is your goal, |
| like a large ladder lying on the ground or a vertical | | | | then you will want to create a mind-set that spending |
| hopscotch pattern. Each square represents a required | | | | money, especially on interest, is very painful. |
| level in reaching your goal. | | | | Associate massive pain with spending money. |
| When you have all six levels in line, your life is | | | | Associate massive pleasure with having money in the |
| congruent with your goal. As you will see, if any level | | | | bank and a shrinking debt load. |
| is not aligned, your life will be incongruent with your | | | | Once you have defined the capabilities and |
| goal which will create conflict. Any incongruence | | | | determined that you have them or outlined a method |
| creates obstacles for moving towards your goal. | | | | of obtaining them, you can move to the next level. |
| In the first square in front of you is the Environment | | | | |
| Level. | | | | IV. Belief Level |
| Take a step into the: | | | | Do your beliefs support this goal? What beliefs do |
| | | | | you need in order to make this happen? |
| 1. Environment Level | | | | If you believe that money is the root of all evil, then |
| Is your current environment conducive to reaching | | | | setting a goal of saving $100,000 may be incongruent |
| your goal? | | | | with your belief. If it is your belief that in order to be |
| If you have to study, do you have an environment | | | | attractive you must be wealthy, drive a cool car or |
| to do so? Do you have the books, CDs, manuals you | | | | be in perfect shape, then setting a goal of meeting |
| need? If not, how can you get them? Who is your | | | | someone special may be inhibited if you don’t |
| teacher? If you are trying to lose weight, stop | | | | have these attributes. If you believe that there are |
| smoking or drinking, have you eliminated those | | | | no opportunities for someone who has not finished |
| substances from your environment? | | | | high school, then your belief is going to seriously limit |
| Are the people in your life supportive of your goal? | | | | your possibilities if you didn’t graduate. Not only |
| Do they encourage you or try to discourage you | | | | will your belief systems change over time, but you |
| from growing? If they are discouraging, is there a | | | | can also accelerate the change process and target |
| way to get them to allow you the space to try? Is | | | | specific beliefs that you know are holding you back. |
| there a way to get away from them? Do you need | | | | Do you believe you deserve the rewards this goal will |
| to change your circle of friends? | | | | bring you? If no one in your family has ever |
| | | | graduated, or made a six-figure income, or had a |
| Do you need to make changes to your environment? | | | | relationship with someone they believed to be |
| Can you create an environment that is supportive | | | | “out of their league,” or led a healthy life, |
| and conducive to you achieving this goal? If so, what | | | | then it may be hard for you to believe achieving any |
| changes do you need to make? How will you make | | | | of these or your own goals is possible. It’s |
| them? | | | | important to understand that your ceiling of potential |
| When you have either determined that your | | | | is not determined by anyone else but you. |
| environment is conducive to reaching your goal or | | | | When your belief systems are aligned with your goal, |
| you have figured out what steps you have to take | | | | you may move to the next level. |
| to get it to that point move into the next Level. | | | | |
| | | | | V. Identity Level |
| II. Behavior Level | | | | Does your identity match that of the new version of |
| What behaviors do you need each day and are you | | | | you that will reach this goal? Much of the inner |
| willing to do them? | | | | dialogue we engage in is with younger versions of |
| Are your patterns of behavior supportive for | | | | ourselves. This helps us to understand how such |
| reaching your goal? Your patterns of thought and | | | | conversations can create massive self-doubt and |
| behavior define your life. Are you behaving in a | | | | negative patterns of behavior. For this exercise, |
| manner that is congruent with your goal? If study is | | | | imagine instead what it would feel like to have |
| required, are you studying? If applying a certain skill is | | | | already accomplished your goal. Project your mind |
| required are you applying the skill? If abstinence of a | | | | into the future and feel what it will feel like to be the |
| certain behavior pattern such as being drink, smoke | | | | person who accomplished that. Rather than identify |
| or drug free is required, are you adhering to that | | | | with a version of you from the negative past, create |
| pattern? Are you doing what you need to do each | | | | an identity of yourself having already accomplishing |
| day in order to reach your goal? If not, why not? | | | | this goal. This goal projection process is a great way |
| | | | to kick start that process. |
| As an example, I had the idea for this book exactly | | | | I did this exercise once with a woman during a |
| 15-days ago. The title came to me at 2:30 in the | | | | hypnosis session. She had a goal that would make |
| morning Monday, February 12th. I set a goal to write | | | | her a celebrity in her field which would generate |
| at least one chapter per day in order to have the | | | | significant income for her. When we got to this level, |
| book completed by the end of the month. In order | | | | I asked her if her identity matched the identity of |
| to accomplish this goal, I instantly associated massive | | | | the person who achieves the goal she wanted. She |
| pain with not writing. If I had any free time, I had to | | | | said, “No.” We then explored this issue and it |
| be in front of my MAC banging out chapters. Had I | | | | came down to her being afraid that if she made |
| just “had an idea for a book” and left it at | | | | more money than most men, she would not be |
| that, the book would never get written. The world is | | | | attractive to them. This was a beautiful blond athlete |
| full of great ideas, it’s the ability to take action | | | | whose’ identity was not matching that of the |
| and make an idea a reality that separates the best | | | | person who would reach her goal. |
| of us from the rest of us. As a side note, my first | | | | I walked her through a scenario where she was |
| karate class was on February 12, 1974 and I got | | | | arriving at an event on the arm of a man who was |
| married on February 12, 2000. I don’t know what | | | | so insecure that he had to make more money than |
| that means but I think it’s interesting. | | | | his girlfriend or wife. I had her feel the feelings of |
| Some behaviors will need to be replaced. If you want | | | | what it would be like to be with someone that weak. |
| to stop drinking then you will want to replace the | | | | I had her imagine what her future would be like under |
| pattern of stopping by the liquor store with a new | | | | the control of someone else’s insecurities. I had |
| pattern of driving past it without stopping. | | | | her associate tremendous pain and disappointment |
| Are you rationalizing poor behaviors? Sometimes we | | | | with this scenario. |
| get caught in an analyses paralysis where we spend | | | | I then had her walk through the same scenario but |
| more time thinking than doing. This level is all about | | | | with a man who was confident and didn’t care |
| what you are doing not thinking or planning. This is | | | | how much money she made. He only cared about |
| not about what you will do once you have reached | | | | her and wanted the best for her. I had her imagine |
| your goal. This is about doing the behaviors | | | | what her future would be like with the sincere love |
| necessary right now to move you towards your goal. | | | | and support of someone like this. I had her associate |
| Sometimes clients will confuse this with the | | | | tremendous pleasure and joy with this scenario. |
| rationalization that, “I’ll do that once I get | | | | My goal was to help her create the identity that |
| this done.” For instance, I’ll start exercising | | | | would support her goal. Did it work? It’s too |
| when I lose weight. I’ll stop smoking when I get | | | | early to say, but when she emerged she said that |
| in better shape. I’ll approach a woman after | | | | she had not previously been aware of how money |
| I’ve lost ten pounds. I’ll start studying to get | | | | and men played into her identity. That alone is a |
| a new job after I get a raise at this one. All of these | | | | positive step. |
| examples are stall tactics to delay taking responsibility | | | | When your identity matches that of you on the |
| for your actions. | | | | other side of your goal, you may move to the next |
| That is not acceptable behavior and you are too | | | | level. |
| smart to let your mind play those kinds of tricks on | | | | |
| you. Let the rest of the people in the world deceive | | | | VI. Spiritual Level |
| themselves, not you. | | | | If you believe in a higher power, does that higher |
| Once you have defined the behaviors and committed | | | | power support this goal? With few exceptions, in |
| to doing them, you can move to the next square. If | | | | order for a spiritual belief to be aligned with a goal, |
| you can’t define them, do more research to | | | | the goal has to be honest, ethical and positive for |
| figure them out. If you are not willing to commit to | | | | everyone involved. For instance, if you goal is one of |
| doing them, your goal stops here. | | | | revenge on someone who you feel has wronged |
| | | | | you, it would be a bit of a stretch to say that your |
| III. Capabilities Level | | | | higher power supports such a negative goal. Of |
| Do you have the capabilities required to reach your | | | | course, the best revenge is success and that is |
| goal? In order to reach your goal, you may have to | | | | usually aligned with a higher power. |
| develop some new techniques, strategies, mind-sets, | | | | I like the Logical Levels because it really walks you |
| or skills. You may already have all that you need to | | | | through the various dynamics that will affect your |
| move forward or there may be something that you | | | | ability to accomplish your goals. When these six |
| need to learn or adapt into your life. For instance, a | | | | elements are in place, there is nothing to stop you. If |
| friend of mine has decided she wants to become a | | | | any of them are out of place, you are bound to |
| court reporter. She has to learn how to use a | | | | have a more difficult path towards improving your |
| steno-writer and the fascinating, but challenging | | | | life. |
| methods of phonetically short hand skills. Once she | | | | In a sense, the Logical Levels work like a reality |
| learns the theory for the machine she has to build | | | | check for your goal setting. They give dreams and |
| speed and accuracy up to 225 words per minute. She | | | | aspirations a concrete foundation and pathway to |
| spends a few hours per night working on her lessons | | | | becoming reality. |
| through a home study course. | | | | |