Staying in the ‘stretch’ – just!
by Matt Swain
Pegasus NLP has a model called ‘10% New’; it has a nice ring to it and means constantly stretching ourselves. The more we stay in stretch the more our unconscious recognises this and re-normalises our comfort zone.
When I began with Pegasus many years ago, middle aged and set in my ways, I learnt this model and tried a few things; they didn’t work and I gave up.
Going on to complete the NLP Practitioner Programme I realised that it was my approach that was wrong, not the model.
Let’s have another go
What I was trying to do was too much, taking the 10% a bit literally.
Maybe 1% or even 0.1% would have been better. Over time, for that’s what’s important, the new state ‘of always being in slight stretch’ has completely changed the way I see myself and what is possible.
A walking example – If you can get up early and walk a 100 meters, congratulate yourself… Seriously, you got out of bed early, very few people do. Don’t worry about the distance; the very act of getting out of bed is a stretch. Then just add very small increments so the extra effort is not noticed; it’s all just ‘stretch’. Over time the unconscious recognises ‘stretch’ is the norm. Adding an extra 50 meters a day would, in a couple of years, equate to a marathon in a day.
The walking example became a reality for me. Over a period of 5 years, one marathon a day became three in a day; just stretch and time. Last year I did the same with cycling, this year I’m working on swimming. Next year who knows.
So here are the top tips for staying in stretch and a life of growth
- Set tiny incremental steps; over the long term they add up.
- Congratulate yourself on the effort, the tiny gains will come (I actually pat myself on the back – I have a strong anchor now)
- Don’t compare your sense of stretch to others, stay with it and trust yourself.
Matt Swain
Matt intended this as a comment on the previous 10% New article – but it’s such a good article I’ve published it here with his permission
There is another article by Matt here: https://nlp-now.co.uk/nlp-robbed-me-of-my-sulk/