In part 2, I’ll present a hypnosis model of change. If you’ve ever said or done something that’s not your normal self, this model of change may shed some light. If you’ve ever wondered why sometimes success is easy and why sometimes it’s hard, this may shed some light.
Before you read part 2, please read part 1. The link is below.
https://habitproject.com/2015/why-do-we-succeed-or-fail-part-1.html
The factors
If math isn’t your strong suit, it’s okay. Later when we run through an actual example, it’ll make more sense. Just bear with me as I set things up with a few factors that matter.
[Motivation Level] runs from 0 to 10.
- 0 means the person has no motivation to succeed.
- 10 means the person really, really wants to succeed.
[Block Level] runs from 0 to 10.
- 0 means the person has no internal block to succeed.
- 10 means the person will sabotage their progress to avoid success.
[Net Motivation Level] is a result. It runs from -10 to + 10.
- [Net Motivation Level] = [Motivation Level] – [Block Level]
- That means it runs from -10 to +10.
If you’re still with me, good. We’re almost done with the factors. One more factor to go before we make this feel more real!
[Hurdle Level] runs from 0 to 10.
- We compare the [Net Motivation Level] to the [Hurdle Level].
- If the [Net Motivation Level] is higher, then change is possible.
- If the [Net Motivation Level] is equal to or lower, then change is not possible, yet.
By the way, just because someone moves forward toward change doesn’t guarantee success. It just means they’re moving forward toward change. Sometimes the road to change is bumpy with the person moving forward and backward.
Model of change (an example with numbers to make it more clear)
Okay, let’s make this more real by plugging in some numbers and by bringing Fred back from part one of this article. You may recall that in part one, Fred wanted to become the leader at his lodge. Let’s imagine we have his numbers. (Don’t worry about how we got the numbers. Let’s just say I’ve got my sources.)
[Motivation Level] = 10
[Block Level] = 7
[Hurdle Level] = 6
Remember that [Net Motivation Level] = [Motivation Level] – [Block Level].
Since we have his [Motivation Level] and [Block Level], we can calculate the [Net Motivation Level] .
[Net Motivation Level] = 10 – 7. Result is 3.
Does Fred’s [Net Motivation Level] of 3 exceed his [Hurdle Level] of 6? Nope. That means Fred will sabotage his success. And Fred did sabotage election success, and then he blamed it on everyone but himself.
Before we discuss how Fred could have jumped over the hurdle, let’s look at his past.
In part one, I mentioned that in Fred’s junior high election, he gave it his all, but he lost. And that loss caused his young subconscious mind to say never again! That dynamic played itself out as an adult during the recent election at Fred’s lodge.
Fred’s young subconscious mind protected Fred from possible massive emotional pain.
Fred’s subconscious mind generalized the one-time junior high school election pain into other areas of life, including the recent lodge election.
Fred’s subconscious decided to prevent Fred from doing his best in sports, in school, in relationships, and in life. In short, Fred always held back from doing his best when there was a risk of his heart getting badly hurt.
He accepted his average performance in all areas of life as part of his personality. He thought he was just an average person. But in reality, it wasn’t his personality. It was a decision his subconscious made due to one election in junior high school.
We’re not here to blame Fred nor his subconscious mind. His subconscious did the best it could with an imperfect understanding of how the world works. It had the maturity level of a junior high school teenager.
Unfortunately for Fred, his subconscious mind’s lack of maturity cost Fred a much higher quality of life.
Fred didn’t try his best in school, didn’t go for promotions at work, and he didn’t try to be the best boyfriend or husband. His subconscious made sure that Fred never got badly emotionally hurt by doing his best. But his subconscious failed to see what a high price Fred would pay for that level of protection.
In my opinion, if we do our best and still perform at an average level, that’s acceptable. But if we sabotage our success due to fear, then I think that’s a problem.
In part three, we’ll examine the model further and see what Fred can do to change his current situation. There is a way Fred’s subconscious mind can protect Fred emotionally while still allowing Fred to give it his all, to live a better quality of life.