Dilts Pyramid

Goal of the Technique:

Environment: This includes everything we react to—our surroundings and the people we encounter.

Behavior: These are our concrete actions.

Capabilities: These are the groups or classes of behaviors, general skills, and strategies we use in our lives.

Beliefs and Values: These are the guiding principles we believe to be true and use as the basis for our daily actions. Beliefs and attitudes can include both permissions and limitations.

Identity: This is our core self-image—our deepest, central values and our purpose or mission in life.

Affiliation: This refers to our professional, family, social, or any other (perhaps philosophical or religious) alignment.

This is the deepest level, where we contemplate and embody the greatest metaphysical questions. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? This spiritual level guides and shapes our lives and provides a foundation for our existence. Any change at this level has profound effects on all the other levels. In a sense, it contains everything we do but is more than the sum of its parts.

Goal Setting Using the Neuro-Logical Levels by Robert Dilts

Part 1: Guiding the Desired State through the Neuro-Logical Levels (NL)

1. First, guide person A through a short goal-setting session using the known criteria (positive, self-achievable, contextualized, sensory-specific, ecological).
2. From now on, keep the “as-if frame” throughout the exercise: “Assume you have already achieved your goal…” and guide A in this state through all the NL levels. Begin with the Environment level and move step by step from there, anchoring each situation with a spatial anchor and possibly with keywords or symbols.

If it turns out that one or more levels lack resources, move to the next higher level and try to find the missing resources there. Otherwise, simply note the level where something is still missing for later.

Possible questions at the different levels:

• Environment: Where are you? Who is with you? What do you hear? What do you see? What do you taste? What do you smell?
• Behavior: What are you doing here?
• Capabilities: How are you doing what you're doing? How do you relate to others here? What special abilities do you have here?
• Beliefs and Values: What is important to you here? Why are you doing what you're doing? What do you believe in here? What motivates you? What do you believe about yourself, others, your job, etc.?
• Identity: What self-concept do you have here? How do you understand yourself? Who are you?
• Affiliation: Where do you belong? Is there something or someone—or a group—you know you belong to on a professional, personal, ideological, or spiritual level? What task or mission do you have?

Now take it one step further.
Your unconscious mind will now give you another important piece of information. It could be an idea, a picture, a symbol, a feeling, or something else. It's a special gift from your unconscious for your goal. Take as much time as you need to fully absorb it.

Part 2: Collecting Resources

1. Now walk back through the levels, recalling all the insights and resources you’ve discovered. Experience how each level has been enriched and deepened by the knowledge and experience of the others. Notice the changes.
2. If something is still missing at any stage, dissociate and send resources from that perspective (either mentally send them or set a resource anchor). Return to the relevant level and experience how it has changed with the added resources.
3. Continue until you reach the Environment level and recall your goal. Notice how your goal has now become more enriched compared to the beginning.

Part 3: Internalization and Completion

1. Now go through all the levels once again at your own pace. Take as much time as you need.
2. Then do a quick run-through of all the levels from top to bottom without thinking. Return to the starting position and feel how your goal has become more complete.
3. Future Pace: When will you take the first steps toward fully realizing your goal?