Turning Failure into Feedback

This technique allows you to transform negative attitudes or limiting beliefs so that they instead help you develop new useful skills and achieve success. After this process, you’ll see setbacks and defeats as valuable feedback that can motivate you anew.

Step 1

Identify the Problematic Attitude/Belief

Notice your physiology and representational systems. Pick an attitude or limiting belief that leaves you feeling hopeless or “beaten.” This attitude should be resolvable by acquiring a skill.

Example:

Karl is a salesperson who’s not selling much, feeling bad about it. He believes he’s not engaging enough with his customers (a skill). His limiting belief might be “I can’t sell.” The skill Karl needs to succeed is more captivating communication. The resulting objective is to increase sales.

After identifying the issue, observe the physiology, eye-accessing cues, and so on related to failure.

Step 2

Assign the Limiting Belief to a Corresponding Eye Position

Use imagination to notice how you represent each of your sensory systems, linking them to eye positions, etc.

Step 3

Create an Image of Your Desired Skill and Goal, Place It in Your Constructed Visual Space

Think of your frustrating trait and the outcome behind the limiting belief…

Step 4

Distinguish Between the Representation of Your Positive Skill Image and Your Failure Memories

Concentrate on the desired skill, feel it clearly…

Step 5

“Normalize” the Failure Elements with New Positive Associations

Look at the memories tied to the limiting belief… link them to the new skill image’s positivity.

Step 6

Create an Anchor for a Positive Reference Experience

Ensure this anchor uses particularly strong positive submodalities for you personally.

Step 7

Fire the Positive Reference Experience in Combination with Your Goal

Think about your desired skill or goal while activating the anchor…

Step 8

Test

Check whether it worked:

Signs that it’s working could be:

• New ideas about how to achieve your goal
• A more hopeful and motivated attitude
• A clear feeling and knowledge of how to achieve your goal, now linked to inspiring mental images