011 - Pattern Interrupt

This is session number 11 of the NLP in actions podcast and today's show is all about the Pattern Interrupt. So much of NLP is is flexible and not a one trick pony. Its tools, techniques, and principles are readily transferable and have the ability to integrate with others, creating amazing flexibility and profound changes. The pattern interrupt follows this exact same pattern of flexibility in its applications but it uses can seem so different.

What is a Pattern Interrupt

As we discover in NLP, so much of what we do is pattern-based. We follow certain methods, models and procedures whenever we do certain tasks or things. These models are patterns and they allow us to generate and create certain outcomes and states. Some of these are beneficial and others aren’t. Let me give you an example of a not so good pattern.

Your alarm goes off at 6 AM you reach over with your right arm and hit snooze, three minutes later the alarm goes off again, and so does your arm, ready to hit the snooze button. This repeats several times until you finally decide it's time to get out of bed. You eventually get out of bed, you're not feeling too good, but you plod on as you do every single morning…….Because, this is your pattern. This also ties in nicely to the saying “if you do what you've always done, you will get what you've always got.” Our patterns allow us to run on autopilot which is a massive advantage most of the time. If our patterns are not helpful and create states we wish we weren't in, then patterns need to be interrupted.

An interruption in a pattern can dramatically transform a person state or outcome and there are so many ways to do this, so I'll explain a few here. Once you understand this principle, you can find new ways that you can use this and if you have any questions regarding these please do get in touch and I can go over some with you.

To go back to the example I gave above about lying in bed in the morning and snoozing eight times before deciding to get out. A change in pattern or change in strategy could be to move your phone or alarm to the other side of the room. The following morning when your alarm goes off at 6 AM you have no choice but to get out of bed to turn the alarm off, also decide prior to that, once the alarm goes off and you switch it off, you stand at the other end of your bedroom, open the curtains and do a big stretch and take three deep breaths. This is a pattern that you can decide upon, but whatever you do will create a dramatic change from what you were doing and you can most definitely expect a change in your state and how your morning normally runs.