Author: Martin

Quitting smoking is hard.

Most smokers have tried quitting once, twice, or a hundred times, but ended up falling back into old patterns. You might be waiting for the right time to quit, or just telling yourself you’ll get to it ‘someday’. If you’re waiting for the right time, here’s your sign – do it now!

Try Stoptober

Stoptober is a great time to stop smoking: it’s likely that friends, colleagues or other people you know will be stopping too, so you’ll have moral support from someone who knows how difficult it can be. The internet is flooded with all sorts of resources, helpful tips and encouragement during Stoptober, which will help you feel that you’re not alone.

Change the way you think about smoking

Stoptober works by changing the way you think about your behaviour. It’s re-framing the idea of quitting: instead of telling yourself ‘I’ll never smoke again!’, with the resulting sense of despair or loss that comes with it, you’re just committing to stop smoking for the month of October. It’s a much more achievable goal and therefore the success rate is much higher. If you’ve tried quitting smoking before but the idea of giving up forever has just been too much to bear, then just quitting for a month is a much more manageable goal to set yourself. 

Start small

It’s much easier to start something if you don’t feel like you’re committing to an enormous undertaking. It works with all sorts of things that aren’t as bad as we thought once they get going: if you want to go for a run but the idea fills you with dread, tell yourself you’ll head out for five minutes and then turn back. Chances are, once you’ve got started, it’ll be much easier to keep going. 

You might feel apprehensive or reluctant at the idea of stopping smoking – after all, it’s a difficult thing to do, which you’ll know if you’ve tried it before – but it can help to focus on the positive outcomes, rather than the difficult of the task in hand. When you quit you’ll start saving a significant amount of money immediately (try calculating how much you’d save if you didn’t smoke for a year): you could put that towards a holiday, or something you’ve always wanted but haven’t been able to afford. Being free of the need to smoke gives you freedom: smoking can be inconvenient, when flights, long meetings and long journeys become awkward when you’re planning your next cigarette. 

Time to try something new?

If you’ve tried quitting smoking before and it hasn’t worked, maybe it’s time to try something new. If cold turkey, patches or nicotine gum didn’t help you, why not try hypnotherapy? For many people hypnotherapy is the solution that really sticks when it comes to quitting smoking – you’re not just trying the same old methods that haven’t worked before, but changing the way you think about smoking completely, giving yourself a real chance at freedom.

To talk to Martin about hypnotherapy for help quitting smoking, get in touch.

If you’re considering undertaking an NLP training, the first step is choosing the right trainer. Each trainer is different, and experience levels, training styles and background can really vary. 

If you’re not sure how to go about selecting the NLP business trainer that’s right for you, here’s a quick guide to get you started.

Choosing an NLP course

There are lots of NLP courses to choose from, from short taster sessions to a full NLP Practitioner course. Many of these courses will have a particular focus: in this article we’re going to look at NLP business training, which uses NLP tools and techniques to develop professional skills like selling, buying and presenting.

Choosing an NLP Business Trainer

Do your research

Take some time to find an NLP trainer whose teaching style and ethos is right for you. If you’ve got colleagues or friends who’ve completed an NLP training course, ask for recommendations, or reach out to your network on LinkedIn.

Try a taster course

If you’ve identified a trainer you think you’d work well with but you’re not sure you’re ready to commit, see if they’ve got short online or taster courses available (like our Time Management Toolkit). 

If that’s not available, a phone call or meeting with a potential trainer is a good way to get to know them a bit better before you commit.

Ask about their experience

There are thousands of NLP trainers in the UK alone, and the range of experience will vary widely. Ask potential trainers about their track record, any previous clients, and the industries they’ve worked in. Choosing a really experienced trainer means you get to take advantage of all the skills development and training they’ve undertaken themselves.

Ask about their background

Although not essential, an NLP business trainer with a background in business will be bringing all the knowledge and experience they’ve gained from working in the field to your training. Example: if you work in procurement, a trainer who’s worked with buying departments might be able to give you a unique perspective on your skillset.

Read reviews and testimonials

The best way to find out the value of an NLP business training is to read feedback from trainees who’ve already taken the course. An NLP trainer with lots of great feedback is likely to be a good choice!

Get the details

Ask potential trainers about the course details: how many delegates will usually be on the course at one time? How long does the course last and how will it be structured? Make sure the way the course is delivered suits your timetable and budget, and that there won’t be too many delegates being taught at once.

Want to chat to us about our NLP Business courses? If you’ve got questions or you’d just like to get to know us a bit better, get in touch for a no-obligation chat.

Well, I’ve had some time to reflect on my experience at the ANLP International conference – the first one I’ve presented at – and I thought I’d share some of the insights I picked up over the weekend.

I arrived on Saturday, checked in and went to get a cup of tea, and was approached by the only other person standing there, who introduced himself and told me he was looking forward to my presentation the next day.  He’d recognised me from my photo in the conference planner and wanted to say hello.  Everyone at the conference was really friendly, and I had lots of very interesting conversations at the event and afterwards.

What I learned

I had decided to watch all the presentations in the Business Strand as my focus on NLP is business applications but after the first session I decided that I should go to the sessions I wouldn’t normally focus on, to see what learning form these I can apply in my practice.  Learning Point number one: step out of your comfort zone. 

I had a great time in the ‘Mindfulness Based Inner Repatterning’ session by Tania Prince, where I learned how to get rid of my Imposter Syndrome which was really useful, given that it was talking loudly in my ear that morning. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the name of the session, but I got a lot out of it.  Learning Point number two: don’t let jargon get in the way of learning and big change. Often people can be put off by NLP, as it can all seem a bit mysterious, but it’s really just about using well-researched, tested tools and techniques to become more effective in what you do – simple.

I attended a session with Peter Rolland on NLP and the Emotional Intelligence model which was good revision of Emotional Intelligence and the overlap between EI and NLP.  Learning Point number three: it’s good to re-visit things you learned a long time ago, as it allows you to find new ways of applying that learning as you have developed your thinking over time.

Robert Dilts is a hero of mine and I use the Logical Levels model in most of what I do – it’s at the core of my Strategic Planning tool, my coaching approach and my Cultural Change models.  Learning Point number four: lots of tools and models can be applied to new areas and can add value. Knowing your desired outcome is the key.

I watched Dipti Tait demonstrate a really effective way to utilise a client’s words to help them change beliefs and behaviours in her ‘How Free Flow Trance enhances your toolkit’ session.  Learning Point number five: using the words a client uses really demonstrates understanding and helps to lead them to a win/win outcome.

The dreaded Powerpoint failure and how to deal with it

Then I was into my presentation where I started with Learning Point number six: practice what you preach – and always over-prepare for a presentation.  The laptop I was using for my presentation had my Powerpoint file and the video I wanted to use stored on it.  I’d checked it that morning and everything was fine – no updates to take away all my preparation time and I was confident everything was OK.  It wasn’t. 

The laptop refused to start windows and the IT guy couldn’t make it work whatever he tried.  The 20 minutes prep time I had was rapidly running away when someone from the hotel found a spare laptop and I was able to load my presentation from the flash drive I had brought with me just in case.

This is something I always tell delegates on the Presenter’s Toolkit course to do.  I also had it on Google Drive so I could download it if the flash drive was broken or lost. If Google Drive didn’t work, I could have done the presentation without Powerpoint at a push.

After that excellent opportunity to practice my state management, the session went really well and I got some really positive feedback. I also sold a few copies of my books, which was great.

Overall, the key learning I got from the Conference was:  after 23 years of learning and using NLP I am pretty good at it, and I’m well respected by the NLP professionals who I met. That said, I’ve still got lots of opportunity to improve my knowledge, skills and understanding.

It also brought home to me how effective and useful the presuppositions of NLP are – especially this piece of advice:

‘You have all the resources you need to achieve your goals.  There are no unresourceful people, only unresourceful states.’

I certainly feel in a much more resourceful state than before I went.

I also enjoyed talking to some of the 400+ people who were at the Conference and I’m already planning to go next year, hopefully to present again.

Takeaways:

• Try new things and explore areas outside of your focus: they could give you a new insight into what you do
• Don’t let your preconceived ideas of what something might be like stop you from trying it
• Using a client’s words helps you connect with them and lead them to a positive outcome
• Lastly: always have a back-up when you’re giving a presentation – and be prepared to deliver it without a Powerpoint if you have to!

With over 20 years’ experience teaching NLP and business skills to individuals and corporate clients, we know the value of getting time away from the office and your everyday job-list to focus on developing your skills.

However, sometimes you just don’t have the time available to commit to a longer course. That’s where online courses come in: they’re flexible, accessible and affordable, and give you the opportunity to learn the skills you need on your own time. Read on for some of the benefits.

You can learn at your own pace.

Ever been on a course and felt as if you could have picked it all up in half the time? With an online course, you can! You can even watch our videos at 1.5x or 2x speed.

You can try a range of different courses to find the ones that suit you.

The benefit of short, affordable online courses is that you can try a range of topics until you find the ones that are most useful to you (and your business). You might find you’ve got Facebook marketing down, but could use some more help with time management – the online world’s your oyster. Once you’ve found an area you’re interested in, you could go on to undertake a longer face-to-face course (like our Communicator’s Toolkit).

You can complete them in your own time.

Our Time Management Toolkit course is broken down into modules, that you can watch as and when you’ve got the time. They’ll fit in around your life, so you don’t have to take time out of your working day to up-skill.

They can be more affordable than face-to-face courses.

If budget’s tight, or you’re not sure you can justify the spend just yet, a short online course is a good way to try it out without too much risk. If you find the skills you’ve picked up are invaluable to you our your business, you can then invest in a more in-depth course.

You’ll benefit from the course leader’s wealth of experience.

Our Time Management Toolkit is designed and delivered by Evolution Development founder Martin Crump, who has over 20 years’ experience coaching individuals and businesses in NLP and personal and corporate development. You’ll get to make use of all that knowledge for just £49.

If you’d like to give a short online course a go, sign up to the Evolve Online newsletter to be notified when our Time Management Toolkit goes live.

    

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If you’ve already tried a few online courses and you’re ready for something more in-depth, try our Presenter’s Toolkit or have a look at some of the other courses we offer.

With the launch of the Evolve Online training academy just a couple of weeks away, we thought we’d tell you a bit more about Evolve Online and Evolution Development Martin Crump.

Twenty years’ experience delivering NLP training

Martin has been delivering NLP training and teaching for more than twenty years: through Evolution Development he has provided training to over a thousand people including delegates from BAE Systems, Babcock Marine, the NHS and Rodda’s. Martin has also worked personally with B&Q and Co-Op, delivering corporate training that makes use of the skills he’s learned through NLP. 

What is NLP?

NLP looks at language and behavioural patterns, and how changing these can help us achieve goals through improved rapport building skills, a better understanding of people’s needs and various influencing techniques. The Evolution Development method involves understanding the unique way each of us experiences life, and using that understanding to build a toolkit of techniques to influence the world around us.

Martin draws on his wealth of industry experience to deliver coaching that really works: he has taught Management Development at Manchester Metropolitan University, and co-authored two books: ‘’How to Build an Ark’: A guide to project leadership in the 21st century.’ And ‘Evolve or Die. The ultimate self-help book.’ With a background in R&D and Manufacturing, Martin has seen for himself the value of good communication in the workplace.

Thousands of happy clients

Martin is passionate about NLP training, and enjoys helping people build up their own set of skills to deal with the challenges they meet in their personal and professional lives. After the success of the NLP training he has delivered through Evolution Development, and thousands of happy clients, Martin developed the Evolve Online academy as a way to deliver similar training techniques in a shorter, more accessible format.

The ultimate short course on time management

Many hours of research and planning have gone into putting together the ultimate short course on Time Management, using all of the tools and training of NLP as well as everything he observed working in manufacturing and R&D. It’s designed for anyone who needs to work on their time management (read: almost everyone), from individuals looking to make better use of their time to senior decision-makers managing teams of people.

Find out more about NLP by having a look at the blog, or sign up to the Evolve Online newsletter to be notified when the online academy launches.

Not having enough time seems to be a condition that affects people of almost all industries and walks of life. It doesn’t matter what your job is – chances are on a fairly regular basis you’ve wished you had more time to get everything on your list ticked off.

Some people find managing their time easy: they’re organised and usually manage to get things done on time. Others find it more challenging. These people might struggle to visualise how long tasks are going to take, and end up getting behind – or they may find they spend lots of time on the time-consuming but less important jobs, leaving little time for the things that matter.

We’re going to break down why time management is important, the benefits of learning good time management skills, and a few tips and tricks on how to do that.

How do you know if you need to work on your time management skills?

Regardless of whether you’re good at time management, or you find it challenging, there’s always room for improvement. A quick review of the way you spend your time should reveal the patterns you fall into when working, and the areas where you could adjust the way you work to become more efficient. If you ever get overwhelmed with the amount of work on your plate, find yourself running out of time, or just wish you had more time to spend on the things you enjoy (or earn you money), then it’s worth working on your time management skills.

Be less stressed, have more time

The benefits of good time management are numerous. Managing your time well will almost certainly improve the quality of your work. You’ll have more energy for the things that matter, and the people around you (whether clients, colleagues, family or friends) will benefit too. Better time management means more time with family and friends, and less stress and anxiety: no more lying awake at night worrying about all the things you still haven’t checked off your to-do list!

A little exercise

An easy experiment is to download some free time tracking software (the Chrome app TrackingTime, Toggl and Toptracker are good options) and use it for a week. Set up categories for the different areas you spend your time on: checking and replying to email, sorting out payments or invoices, or browsing social media. Each time you sit down to a task or switch to another one, log it in the app. At the end of the week, you’ll be able to see a breakdown of how your time was spent over the week. You might find you spend most of your time checking email, or that the time you spend procrastinating on Facebook adds up! If you found it hard to track your time because you were constantly switching between projects, think about how much more efficiently you could  be working if you focused on one thing.

Don’t fall into the trap

It’s important not to fall into the time management trap of spending more time worrying about your time management than actually doing what needs done. The best ways to avoid this are:

• Find user-friendly tools and apps (like time tracking software or project management platforms) that work for you.
• When it comes to apps, keep it simple: more apps do not necessarily mean better time management!
• Check in regularly with yourself. We’ve all been there: you attend a talk or read an article on time management, and come away fired up to be the most efficient person ever. Two weeks later, you’re back to your old tricks. Regularly checking in with a short course will reaffirm what you already know: that good time management will improve the quality of your work, and create less stress.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few suggestions:

• The Evolve Online academy: short, affordable courses designed to help you upgrade your personal and professional skills (including time management courses)
• Todoist for simple to-do lists organised by project and date
• Asana or Basecamp for user-friendly project management

For more tips and tricks on making the most of your time, sign up to our newsletter here.

Do you find there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what you need to, let alone want to do?

There are 24 hours in a day.  That’s 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds, which isn’t really very many.  And, if you sleep for the 8 hours we’re told is good for us, then you only have 16 hours, 960 minutes or 57, 600 seconds (and you’ve just used about 18 of those reading this).

Build your time management toolkit

The fact is, we can’t make more time – time is finite.  What we can do is make better use of the time we’ve got, managing our time effectively so we’re spending it where it counts. While there are lots of tips and tricks out there to help you organise the hours in your day, gaining a better understanding of the way we perceive time can be valuable in helping you find the best way to build your ‘time management toolkit’.

Have you noticed that some people seem to be better at time management than others?  They never miss deadlines, they’re punctual, good at planning and reviewing and they make prioritising look easy. While some people do tend to be naturally more organised than others, time management is a skill that can be learned with a few simple tools, and an understanding of what time is and how we perceive it.

How do we perceive time?

Physical time is objective (seconds, minutes and hours passing) but psychological time is malleable and subjective.  Our perception of the passing of time changes and we have sayings like ‘time flies’ and ‘a watched pot never boils’. Often, things we enjoy seem to take no time at all, whereas spending a few minutes on a difficult or frustrating task might feel like hours. Our perception of time can change based on how we’re feeling: tired, excited or bored. For me, it always seems to take longer to drive home when I’ve been working away than it does to get to where I’m working.

Neurologists believe we have a complex system to make sense of time in our heads. This system differs from our experience of our senses, since we can’t directly perceive time like we can with sounds or smells but have to reconstruct it. As time passes it’s the changes in time, or events, that we perceive, rather than the passage of time itself. We often perceive time in a linear way with a series of events so that the line resembles a string of pearls with gaps of different lengths between events.

Do you see yourself as ‘in time’ or ‘through time’?

The way people experience time can be broken down roughly into two categories: either in time, or through time. People who visualise themselves in time are naturally very good at being in the moment and having creative ideas, and often manage their time much less effectively in respect to tasks. Through time people are usually really good at managing time, hitting deadlines, being punctual and planning well.

Once you understand whether you are in time or through time, you can change it when you want to or need to. You can start to visualise the time you have as something that can be picked up, changed and arranged to suit you. You can take control of time. You’ll be more productive at work and at home, enjoy your hobbies more and relax when you want to.

If you’d like to know how to do all of this, have a look at our short online Time Management Toolkit.  You might have to make time to do this and plan it in to your busy life but if you did, and you found you could enjoy your time more, would that be useful?

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