Introduction

January 17th is titled national quitters day because by this point most people have given up on their new years resolutions. Not because they are lazy. Not because they don’t want it. Not because they haven’t tried hard enough, but because they do not how to create change that lasts…

There is a lot of information on habit change and motivation. I'm not going to talk about that today. Let’s do something different. How about we talk about what it takes to make permanent change? Permanent change sounds hard doesn't it? It doesn’t have to be. Today I want to show you how you can use the logical levels of change as a framework for understanding how to make change?

Change is difficult. Changing long-held beliefs and habits is even more difficult. Changing behavior is the hardest of all. That's why it's so important to use a proven method for making permanent lifestyle changes.

With the logical levels of change, you will learn how to master change on a transformational level.

Have you ever desired change and no matter how hard you try or how long you think about it, it seems like you can't bring about the change you desire?

Say you want to make a change in your life and are working hard on making that change permanent. How do you know if the change is really sticking? One way to tell is by using the logical levels of change model . This model makes it easy to look at the changes that have been made in your life. 

The logical levels model, also known as Dilts logical levels, was developed by Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein, who were, in turn, inspired by the work of Gregory Bateson and Bertrand Russell.

The logical levels model is a very helpful tool for personal change in that it gives a framework for identifying why things happen the way they do. It is often used in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), in which they provide a helpful structure for looking at what’s happening in any individual and their experiences.

When we are trying to change we often start at the lowest level which is at an environmental level

1) Environment or context

The environment is the conditions and circumstances in which behaviour occurs. It's often used to describe how you're feeling, what your surroundings are like, or how much time you have for something.

The environment can also be thought of as a context for your behaviour. For example: if I'm hungry and want a sandwich but don't have any money on me at this moment in time (i.e., my wallet is empty), then it would make sense for me to go somewhere else where there might be food available - even if that place isn't near where I live!

A person who acts from this level will probably explain the change by stating exactly what happened and who was involved. This explanation can be accompanied by complaining.

2) Behaviours

Behaviours are the things we do. They can be modified, learned and reinforced. Behaviours can also be punished or ignored.

All of these behaviours have different levels of change depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with them. For example, if you want to stop smoking cigarettes then your behaviour might be reinforced by rewarding yourself with money each time you don't smoke (e.g., lottery tickets), or by punishing yourself with negative consequences like being forced outside in 20 degree weather without an umbrella (e.g., going without breakfast).

3) Capabilities (skills, competencies)

Capabilities are the skills and competencies that you need to do your job. They're the foundation for all future change, because they represent what you know how to do well, which is often the first thing people will ask when they interview or hire someone.

Capabilities can be thought of as a combination of knowledge and skills, so if you have both then you're probably going to be able to do whatever it is that needs doing in your role (or at least perform at an adequate level). If only one or neither exist then there's no way forward with respect to changing; either way nothing will get done until one or both become evident again - provided this happens within a reasonable timeframe too!

4) Beliefs and values

Beliefs and values are the way we see the world. Beliefs are what we believe about ourselves, others and our future. They influence how we behave in the present moment by giving us a sense of control over our lives. If you believe that you can’t do something because it is too hard or if someone else has something better than you then those beliefs will prevent you from realizing your full potential as an individual with immense strengths to offer others!

Values help guide us through life by helping us understand what is important in life (elements such as love, family/friends etc). Values can also give us direction on how best use our time while living within these constraints so they become part of who we really are as opposed being just some kind of set formula that everyone must adhere too blindly without question (which happens all too often anyway).

5) Identity

Identity is the key part of change. It's a way of understanding who you are and how you differ from other people. It's also a way of understanding how similar to others, or not, your traits are.

Identity is our sense of self, our core beliefs and values. This level can be summed up by the questions: Who am I? How do I think about myself? What I stand for? What is my vision of life? How is what I am experiencing an expression of who I am? How would others describe me?

The NLP model identifies five levels of identity:

• Self (me) - This level describes your physical body, personality and senses; it's where most people feel comfortable being with themselves on an intimate level because they know who they are in that place at least somewhat well. The self can be difficult for many people to access when it comes to making changes in their lives because our culture tells us from an early age that we should always look outwards towards others rather than inwardly towards ourselves—but this isn't true! There's plenty within each one of us worth exploring; just remember that anything worth doing takes time (like anything else).

6) Spirituality / purpose / meaning

The highest logical level deals with the big picture of life, when we begin to question our own purpose, ethics, mission, or meaning in life.

Spirituality is the belief that there is more to life than physical reality. It can be defined as the knowledge or awareness of something greater than yourself, or your understanding of how our lives fit into the greater scheme of things.

Purpose is also an important part of spirituality, as it's what drives us forward towards achieving our goals and dreams. Purpose doesn't mean you have one specific job like being a doctor or lawyer; rather it means being driven by something bigger than yourself—your own beliefs and values - which will guide you through life's journey.

The meaning of life has been debated for centuries with no clear-cut answer yet found (although there are many theories). Some people believe in reincarnation where they think we all return again after death once we've lived out everything we need to learn here on Earth before moving onto whatever lies beyond this plane; others believe that each person has his/her own unique purpose here on Earth which guides them through every decision made during their lifetime so far; yet others still feel that there is no real meaning behind anything except perhaps feeling fulfilled by doing what makes us happy! Whatever happens next depends entirely upon ourselves: whether we choose happiness over sadness; whether we accept responsibility instead blame others...

All in all you can tell on what level someone is operating by the language they use to discuss a problem or situation.

What do you believe are factors that hinder the progress from a certain level to the next? How do you think the Logical Levels can be applied in practice?

The levels of change model gives you a sense of the different areas that can be evaluated to see where change needs to occur.

The levels of change model gives you a sense of the different areas that can be evaluated to see where change needs to occur.

The levels are:

• Acceptance - This is when you realize that your current situation is what it is and there’s nothing you can do about it. Now, it may be possible for someone else to make changes in the situation (e.g., moving out of their home or changing jobs), but this isn't likely since they're so tied up in their own lives at this point. It's also important not to get stuck here because once people accept their current situation as hopeless, they'll never move forward again!

• Action - This level describes how much work needs done on an issue before any real progress will happen; this includes deciding whether or not we want something specific enough before taking action toward achieving those goals/dreams/desires etc., as well as doing some research/due diligence on potential solutions so we don't waste time just blindly jumping into things without thinking things through first

Conclusion

Change doesn't happen when you're lucky it happens when you're intentional.

The logical levels of change model is a useful way to track your progress on the road to permanent behavior change. You may not always begin with a highly motivated intention, but by following through with your choices and behavior, you'll gradually reinforce the habit until it becomes natural—and then, like riding a bike, you probably won't think about it much anymore.

In the end, we can only make change permanent by continuing to work on the level at which we're making it permanent. Change becomes a long-term reality when we develop new habits, break old patterns, and build skills in our lives. Let's make some changes in our lives, and do it for good this time.

Inside of The ELEVATE Method we do the mindset work and aligned action to create the changes you desire not only in your personal life, but in your business as well. If you know you're ready to make this your norm Learn more about the program here: www.nicolyawilliams.com/elevate