Using Archery with NLP
Reading time 3 mins
On our NLP Practitioner training courses we use archery to to learn about how NLP can be incorporated into everyday living, to learn about how we approach our goals in everyday life, and to have fun…
The archery sessions provide an opportunity to spend some time outdoors exploring an interesting sport which has implications in many areas of our everyday lives.
Why use archery in an NLP course?
Using NLP with archery is a great way of exploring how we do things in life – for example:
- how we approach goals
- how we organise our resources to achieve what we want
- how we adapt our behaviours when we are not succeeding
- how we use our minds and bodies to help or hinder us in daily life etc.
When looked at through NLP ‘eyes’ archery becomes more that shooting a few arrows at a target. It becomes a metaphor or mirror for recognising how we handle the opportunities and challenges of daily life – because, in archery, everything you do affects your aim and your outcome or result:
- your posture
- your breathing
- your mind-set
- your concentration or lack of it
- your beliefs in your skill
- your beliefs about yourself
- your attitude towards competitiveness
- your thoughts about the others who are taking part
- your thoughts about on-lookers, and so on.
Using NLP to review the archery session
As with all of the indoor and outdoor activities on our NLP training courses the actual participation is just the beginning of the learning. Afterwards we do a review in which we use our NLP skills to reflect on, or ‘model’, our experience in order to learn from the session. The review enables us to gain insights from our experience that have applications in almost every area in our lives.
So, for example, after the archery session we examine how we handled the session and consider questions such as:
- How effectively do you commit to your goals in life?
- Do your goals become masters which rule you or do maintain a sense of balance and choice?
- Are you able to make achieving your goals enjoyable and stimulating – or do you typically approach these with a stressful attitude?
- How do you motivate yourself – and what de-motivates you?
- What is likely to cause you to waiver or dither or give up?
- How do you handle setbacks – do they become assets or do they undermine your resolve?
- Can you take advice from others – or do you have to go it alone?
Plus dozens of other reflections. As with all of our outdoor activities the actual physical activity, when viewed through the NLP insights and techniques we are learning, becomes the tip of a huge, enduring and often life-enhancing learning experience.
There is a blog article on archery and darts here
More articles on NLP and Goals or Outcomes
On this site
NLP Goals and how to avoid regret
The ‘future on wheels’ pattern
NLP and the need to focus on what you DO want!