Time-lines are an NLP Technique in which a person either physically walks, or imagines theirself moving along a line that they take to represent future events. This enables them to gain insight into the stages of the journey ahead of them in regards to a certain goal. Time-lines are a way to help you visualise, plan and achieve your goals and dreams for the future. They can also be used to change past experiences that may be holding you back in some way.
Time-lines are subjective constructs which enable you to mentally organise your past, present and future spatially. This can be through walking along a physical line, sitting while visually imaging progressing forwards to your goal. This enables you to explore our future narrative as it unfolds.
We live in the present; the past is a memory based on our perception of what has happened, and the future is a projection based on our hopes and fears. Using time-lines we can consciously change our subjective experience of all three.
There are many exercises using time-lines. The following is an example of future planning that uses a visualisation timeline. Sit in a chair. While many people prefer doing the exercise with their eyes closed you can choose whether you would prefer to do the exercise with your eyes open or closed.
Choose an important goal for you that you can easily divide into two or three milestones. Think about a good mental mood to explore your future, for example energised, curious, fascinated, excited, curious, playful, sharp and alert, composed, cunning. It’s important that you are in a positive resourceful state to explore your future. You want to be in the same states that will in themselves help you to have a great future.
The following exercise is based on achieving an end goal with two milestones.
1) Achieving the first milestone. Imagine that your future is extending far into the distance in front of you. Imagine yourself quickly progressing forward into the future until you’ve achieved the first milestone. What do you see, hear and feel? Does it feel good? Developing representations in your key senses makes the experience more real at a sub-conscious level and consciously allows you to explore what is important about your goals . It’s important that you move forward far enough in the future to feel really good about having achieved the milestone.
If you’re not yet satisfied that it’s as good as you want imagine yourself moving further forward and in time and do what ever you need to do to be satisfied with the result. Make a mental note of some of the key actions and resources that helped you achieve the milestone. Imagine yourself being drawn back to the present, and as you do, explore ways of achieving the first milestone more enjoyably and more effectively. Stay in the present for a few moments.
2) Achieving the second milestone. Imagine yourself progressing to your first milestone and then onto the second. Move forward until you’re intuitively pleased with the result of the second milestone. Make a mental note of some of the key actions and resources that have helped you achieve the second milestone. Imagine yourself being drawn back to the present, and as you do, explore ways of reaching both the second and first milestone more enjoyably and more effectively. Stay in the present for a few moments.
3) Achieving your end goal. Imagine yourself moving forward again from the present through the first milestone, through the second milestone and to your end goal. Move forward until you’re really pleased with the results of your end goal. Make a mental note of some of the key actions and resources that helped you achieve your end goal. - Also look back at the smaller challenges that you overcame. Imagine yourself being drawn back to the present, and as you do, explore ways of achieving both the end goal, second and first milestone more enjoyably and more effectively. Stay in the present for a few moments.
Remember the step you took to start on your journey to the first milestone. See yourself taking that first step enjoyably, then imagine that you’re looking at yourself taking that first step comfortably. What could you do to take that very first step with more fun and more efficiency?
Exploring the future is normally fun and enjoyable. Rehearsing the future makes it more familiar, less scary and greatly increases your chances of being successful.
Exploring the past can lead to the release of very strong emotion. It can be as exploring the future, however you are advised to explore the past with a trained practitioner.
There are many variations to time-line, all have value with the right person and right context.
Michael Beale is one of the UK's leading NLP Trainers and Business Coaches. For further details see Michael's website on NLP Training and NLP Courses.