What I am reflecting?
The Life-Changing Prompt
As someone who is passionate about manifestation and mindfulness—being a trainer in these subjects—I often find myself reflecting on how people actually apply what they learn.
Just the other day, one of my Coherence Advantage students talked to me. Out of my interest, and usually as a reminder, I asked, “How’s your practice of CA, and what has your experience been?”
He answered, “Billy, after the class, I honestly don’t have the time to practice.”
What that means is the learning remains as knowledge and hasn’t yet translated into real outcomes.
To give you context, in my typical workshop, I always start with Mindset.
Mindset is a good starting point because it shows you why this is important for you. Not only that, it also uncovers the myths around the topic. Most of the time, you already know the aspiration you want to achieve. However, there are many limiting beliefs.
Yes—you might have thought of one, didn’t you? That’s why mindset is a great start to get people wanting to change. I incorporate stories so they can connect emotionally and visualize themselves achieving successful outcomes.
Next is the Skillset, which means the how-to—the techniques and strategies. This helps them learn the methods. I usually spend more time here because people need to practice and reflect. At least after the session, they would have experienced the technique 1–2 times.
I always mention that to experience energy and emotion, it is state-dependent. One analogy I use is:
“Imagine how nice it feels to dig your nose. Can you describe that feeling of syiok-ness?”
I use this because it shows how state-dependent things are. Everyone has different imagery and uses different senses.
Then I ask, “Now imagine I dig your nose. How is that?” Hehehe.
The point is—you need to experience it yourself.
In summary, skillset is not just techniques. Going through it yourself is an important step toward mastery.
So after learning all this, we still hear, “Billy, after the class, I honestly don’t have the time to practice.”
This week, I’ve been thinking that the missing element might be behavior change. That’s right—the habit of consistent practice.
To practice anything, you need a good prompt to know when to do it. In general, there are three sources of prompts, as mentioned by BJ Fogg in his book Tiny Habits:
- Personal Prompt: I ask you, “Remember to do it.”
- Context Prompt: I send you an SMS every morning to remind you, or you set an alarm.
- Action Prompt: A clear and precise statement: “After I … I will …” For example: After I brush my teeth, I will take one mindful breath.
I believe that by educating my students with this simple concept of prompting, they will better understand how behavior is designed.
This gives them a higher chance of successful change and making a difference toward a better life.
I wonder if you, too, have learned the insight behind using simple prompts to change your behavior.
After reading this, if you have any thoughts to share, do reply.
Quote I’m pondering
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good; it’s the thing you do that makes you good.” – Malcolm Gladwell
Affirmation I used
I am consciously eliminating habits that inhibit my growth and limit my success.