Suggested activity

Suggested activity: Neurolinguistic programming

Based on neurolinguistic programming (NLP), this exercise is designed
to influence how you feel. People often quit because they associate
negative feelings with what they’re doing. People who persevere
have the power to feel good about their actions no matter how
tedious or unconstructive these actions may seem to others. If you
can make yourself feel good about the process of improving your
interview skills, then there’s a good chance that quitting will be the
last thing on your mind. Next time you feel like quitting, you might
like to find a quiet spot and take the following steps:
convincing them you’re right for the job

• Close your eyes and imagine yourself performing extremely well
in an interview. Take your time to view this picture in as much
detail as you can. Picture the faces of the enthusiastic interviewers,
noticing how attentive they are and how impressed they are
with your responses. Immerse yourself in the experience. Pay
attention to the details, including sounds, smells, colours,
temperature, and so on. Above all, capture the feeling of being
successful. Do not hold yourself back. The better you make
yourself feel, the more powerful the exercise will be.

• Keep on repeating this exercise until you capture that feeling of
excitement. You may be able to generate greater excitement by
picturing yourself in your new job. Imagine how good it is going
to feel winning a great job. Imagine getting that all important
phone call informing you of your success. Picture yourself in the
position doing all those things you’ve dreamt of doing. The key to
this exercise is to generate the great feeling that goes with succeeding
at an interview. Your only limitation is your imagination.

• Once you’ve captured that feeling, the next step is to recreate it
when you need it—in other words, when you feel like quitting.
An effective way of recreating the feeling of excitement is by
installing what NLP refers to as an anchor. An anchor is a stimulus
that triggers the desired feelings when you want them. An anchor
can be something you do, say or imagine. Action anchors usually
work best. For example, you might cross your fingers or jump
up in the air or pull your ears. It doesn’t matter what it is, as
long as you can do it easily when you want to and trigger the
desired feelings. Every time you’re afflicted with the scourge of
quitting, use your anchor and let your ability to influence your
feelings do the rest.