Over the years, since learning NLP at a young age, I’ve found that my ability to learn, in general, has vastly improved. Part of this is no doubt my beliefs about learning along with my passion and perseverance for learning. However, to really learn how someone good at something does it, there is a core understanding that comes from the methodology of NLP.
I am talking about the concept of ‘modelling’. Modelling is something that has many different explanations and descriptions in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. At a very basic level, modelling is when you build a model of how someone else does something. The aim of it is to identify precisely what enables such people to get the results they do in the area that they work in.
Whereas much of learning from others puts a heavy price on just the theory or technique of a particular skill, modelling goes much deeper. The idea is that if you want to get the results that others get you must learn more about all they do internally and externally. You do this by ensuring that you study the person on a number of different levels.
Here is an example of one type of modelling that you may find useful if you are looking to learn from someone you admire. Of course, you may not have access to them or they may, indeed, be dead but regardless, you look for as much information as you can do from whatever you can find.
- ENVIRONMENT: What environment do they surround themselves in? What is easily accessible to them?
- STATES: What states do they create when they practice or perform? How do they create those emotional states?
- BEHAVIOURS/ACTIONS: What do they do regularly to become good? When do they work? How long for? Doing what exactly?
- PHYSIOLOGY: How do they sit, stand or physically move when they perform at their best?
- MENTAL STRATEGIES: What are the sequences of thoughts that goes on inside the person’s head when they perform the skill, prepare themselves beforehand and motivate themselves to practice?
- SKILLS: What are the particular skills/techniques they know backwards and how did they learn them?
- BELIEFS: What do they believe about what they do? About practice? About their opponents?
- VALUES: How important is the skill to them? How important is practice or the application?
- IDENTITY: What do they believe about themselves in relation to the skill?
- MISSION BELIEFS: Why do they do what they do?
By running through questions like these you will find yourself getting great insights into how people that you look up to, do what they do.
