NLP And Lifelong Learning - by Ian Paul Sharp

Becoming a lifelong learner - whether the intention is gaining a degree, removing limiting beliefs, or simply pleasure - is deeply fulfilling. Yet some people see significant barriers to their participation in formal learning. Here’s three barriers which NLP can remove.

LACK OF CONFIDENCE
Returning to learning is, of itself, a great way of increasing confidence. Yet some people lack the confidence they need to begin. If that’s you, how can you break this self-fulfilling prophesy?

One quick way of building your confidence is to think now about a time when you felt supremely confident - in any area of your life. Think yourself into that moment now and see what you saw, felt what you felt and hear what you heard. Now double the intensity of those feelings and double them again. Do this often so that it becomes a habit and then, next time you hesitate to make that application, phone call or attend your interview, recall your most confident feeling. 

This one technique - in conjunction with others if necessary - could take you from being a potential to an actual learner. And then use the same ways of boosting your confidence to be able to speak up at tutorials or give a presentation.

RELATIONSHIPS
When we become formal lifelong learners (of course we’re learning all the time - formal study increases the quantity and ideally the quality of that learning) it triggers changes in our approach to life. In turn, those changes can mean our relationships change too, and not always for the better.

How can you resolve the issue of fulfilling your own need to learn with the possible negative effects on your relationships - “you’ve changed!” Well, that’s the point and you want to keep those changes. One way of dealing with this is to look at yourself through your partner’s eyes (or whoever is affected by your changes). When they look at the changed you what do they see? The trick is to begin to realise how you can integrate those changes with the relationships you cherish. Again, that’s one technique and others are available.

EXAMINATIONS
Your mode of learning may not require you to sit exams or be formally assessed. Often, though, some form of assessment is necessary, and the words ‘exams’ and ‘anxiety’ do seem to be firmly linked. Performance in exams if often inhibited by nerves - you’ve done the revision, read the books, know your ‘stuff’ and yet your thinking processes freeze on the day and you find it hard to recall all you need to recall.

One way through this is to be able to relax. If you used the confidence technique you can apply a similar approach now - think of a time when you felt supremely relaxed (on holiday, perhaps) and get those feelings running whenever you feel anxious (of course, this applies any time, not just exams). And take yourself into your lovely, relaxed, place just before your exam. Not too relaxed - you need to have an edge to perform at your peak - just ‘in the zone’. Focused, confident, ready to go for it. By the way, hypnosis is another great way of overcoming anxiety - for details of my CD see the note at the end of this article.

SUCCESSFUL LIFELONG LEARNER
So you can become a successful lifelong learner whatever stage you are at now. These ideas can get you started. When I commenced my degree as an adult with the Open University my strong motivation was a vision of myself sitting in an armchair in my late 80s, looking back over my life, and regretting the opportunities I never took. If even a part of yourself wonders if you could there’s only one way to find out. Whichever barriers you see stopping you - know now that you can get past them. Go for it.
 

Ian Sharp is a lifelong learner, NLP Training Specialist and has an MA in Education (OU) as well as over 20 years experience as a lecturer and trainer. His new blog about lifelong leaning is at http://reflectandgrow.wordpress.com

Discover how to make yourself a more effective learning machine than every before at our upcoming NLP seminars.