I try to achieve highly in school and had really terrible behavior, concentration and study habits. I learnt about NLP and used it to get some high grades but i think i could do some things to make life easier.

I notice that other students have to coerce themselves into studying by motivating themselves through fear (of exams), pressuring & deliberately stressing themselves, which has terrible side effects like hair falling out, insomnia, frustration and complete loss of confidence.

I feel that I'm really getting into these types of things, I have fluctuations of motivation. I get really motivated (and get real enjoyment from studying) around exam/test times. But i don't have much motivation when exams are far away and everything starts to get a little boring. Teachers give advice like "study in short bursts and reward yourself" but i remember reading a book on NLP that said success mastery is all about creating a state mastery where you can easily motivate yourself without having to coerce yourself constantly. I think that would be great! Also around exam times i get a little doubtful and scared which is annoying.

I i've tried some exercises like thinking of a time when i was successful (in a test or something) and then seeing myself in the experience and playing around with the sub modalities. Or anchor states of mind to fire off when i need them. But when i try to see myself it isnt all that vivid. I cant really notice any colour difference or see it near or far away. No matter what experience i always see myself associated and all over and around me. its not to the left or right so i cant move it. Colours the same, not too bright, not too dark. I also don't significantly feel that emotion of success happiness. I feel a little excited but not much. But when I'm not trying to do any NLP and I'm just day dreaming i feel like i see things alot more vividly and the emotions are much stronger.

Is this just a practice thing? Do just need to try more?

Also what are some things i can do to give me motivation whenever i want? Do i try use an anchor?
I think there isnt much point in trying that until i can actually feel the experiences alot more vividly.

Any suggestions or ideas that could help me would be really appreciated

I'm seriously considering doing an NLP course after exams in the holidays (I live a 5 hour drive away from anything NLP so its not all that easy). Especially since I've got Uni next year which means things will get a little harder. I've heard stories about students going mental because they cant really control anything thats happening in their heads easily .

Well, frankly, having excellent study skills will make a fantastic difference: imagine being able to use the same amount of mental energy, but with a superior level of study technology, that energy will translate into much more retained, useful, life advancing knowledge:

Each area of study will have a distinct texture, or way of patterning information. Once you learn to see the way an author patterns information, you can exploit that to your advantage...

When I am reading material which involves politics, there are usually an overwhelming amount of names... so with material like that, you should take a fluorescent orange highlighter and highlight each and every instance that a proper name is mentioned.... so you can quickly scan the book later and track the pattern of how that person's identity moves through the book... now, ONLY use orange for proper names and nothing else.

If an infrequent term, or a specialized concept, or an unknown word appears, highlight that in a different color, day-glo fuscia works well for me... then I can flip through the book and look these up on the internet later if I want more depth of understanding... would also suggest getting yourself a real high quality paper disctionary and don't be shy about highlighting it too... if your reading somebody like Christopher Hitchens, you'll enjoy having a dictionary handy... get some quarter sized post it note tabs and mark the place in the dictionary where the new word is... every week go back and carefully review each tab until you've fully absorbed the meaning and context of that word...

Read actively, fully imagine what the author might be thinking before he wrote those words, try to get into his head, what motivated him to write what he wrote ? What might his framework of understanding be ? Then try to imaging the text having a different meaning, how else could the words or message be taken ? How would someone from a diametrically different background from your own receive that information, what pictures or movies might be going through his mind as a result of those words ? I very much try to experiment with widely divergent viewpoints while reading.... how would Barack Obama read this stuff ?, how would a police officer read it ? how would somebody in Japan read it ?... how do your personal circumstances color your "take" on the information ?

The more you actively and imaginatively engage the material, the more it will unfold as something that has become personal and meaningful to you, and the more valuable it will be as a foundation for the next stage of your understanding.

Hey Jonas!

Firstly congratulations of reaching the stage where you become self-aware of your own behaviour and its effects on other people.

So you noticed that people motivate them selves in different ways, well observed! People seem to motivate themselves basically either:

1. Towards something (e.g. a reward; something you want) or
2. Away from something (e.g.danger; something you have to do).

Perhaps motivation works best if a little of both were present and ideally, within your control, otherwise one can fall prey to DIS-STRESS with the symptoms you describe.

For example, you could set your own goal of handing in a project a week or a month earlier, meeting your own goal rather than a lecturer's and avoiding the stress as well!
What would it be like to meet your own goals?

Perhaps you can ask yourself: What motivates me? What's important for me?

Exam times can seem a little scary and doubtful which is understandable; however, a little emotion is good to help performance. There's a fine line between fear and excitement. Most people feel it, its perfectly natural. However, if you know your stuff, use the feeling to fuel the fire of performance!

How weird would it be when you realise that your day dreaming 'is' using NLP naturally rather than 'doing' NLP for it's own sake. Sometimes you can get caught up in the technique and forget about immersing yourself in the content.

I don't know whether or not, you can imagine what it would be like, hearing the noise as the results envelope arrives where you live... Your heart beats a little faster... The results of the work put in, because you wanted to do well; not because anyone else wants you to; this is your moment; you pick up the envelope and open it... you see the results you want... See the people around you congratulating you... what would that be like?

Anchor THAT feeling. Right now. and set it off when you need a little more motivation to do the work you want to do here, in the present.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Yes sometimes it feels like a lot of students are motivated away from the test thats due the day after they panic.

Yes when i think about it i can see and hear myself doing that. Although i think the picture isn't all that clear. Is that an issue?

It takes me a little bit to "see" the surroundings first before i can move around and let the movie play out.

I can hear things quite well but i cant change much visual stuff like brightness.

Yes i do try and set goals, but i have some trouble sticking to them... I write them in the diary and sometimes simply forget them . I guess thinking and writing out goals alot will help me remember them??

Good thread

I think the epistemology part is important. NLP seems to encourage the use of multiple perspectives for learning. Put yourself in the shoes of the people who write your textbooks, your tutor/lecturer, the examiner, the marker etc. And go see anyone who can point you in the right direction (tutor or supervisor usually).

Cheers
JamesD

Jp612 wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions!

You're welcome!

Jp612 wrote:

Although i think the picture isn't all that clear. Is that an issue?

It takes me a little bit to "see" the surroundings first before i can move around and let the movie play out.

I can hear things quite well but i cant change much visual stuff like brightness.

It may be that you may have not used your Visual rep. system as much until now. Bear in mind that if the internal images were as strong as external ones, that might be confusing! Just keep practising - especially when you daydream - become aware of the quality of your images.
It may be that you can utilise an external reference experience to help you. Find a TV and adjust the controls; brightness, colour, contrast etc. so you get the idea externally. Then, later, try it internally.
Or, imagine the scene on an overcast day and 'roll back' the clouds so the image is in bright sunlight; I don't know how imaginative you can be!

Jp612 wrote:

Yes i do try and set goals, but i have some trouble sticking to them... I write them in the diary and sometimes simply forget them . I guess thinking and writing out goals alot will help me remember them??

You are on the right track. Perhaps you just need an extra strategy? Have an upcoming reminder list of activities that are due soon and begin a new habit of checking the diary every evening for the day/week ahead. Just a thought.

Yes i think it may be that i haven't used my visual rep because its starting to get easier to play scenes in my head. Also i think i didn't know what brighter looked like, so trying this TV exercise made it clear what it should look like.

Hi again Jonas


I remember going through the process you describe. Its great to learn to use the visual rep system more practically over time. It gave me a great sense of competence.


Its often just a case of stopping to take more time to explore a scenario before soaking up the related abstract concepts. Communicating the scenarios to others and explaining the concepts is also a good way to go when there is time.


Cheers
JamesD

Oh ok, I thought it was just me

I practice doing things like walking around in my school in my head to get a feel for the detail of the surroundings. I find it easier to go to these places in my head because I've already built them in my minds eye.

Also I've heard a better visual rep allows people to remember more, as memory is linked to sensory preferences. Especially visual.

I read your introduction thread, since we're in the same situation, do you have any tips on time management and studying etc? Sorry, I know thats kind of vague.

Jp612 wrote:

... trying this TV exercise made it clear what it should look like.