How to Frame Learning as Success

Many smokers who come to me as a hypnotist to quit smoking with hypnosis have had some time of success with already having stopped smoking.  Perhaps they managed to stop smoking with a med, a cream, a prescription med.  Or perhaps they did a group quit smoking hypnosis session for like 1 hour or less.  And they manage to stop smoking successfully... for 24 hours to even several years.

Stuff happened.

And now they have restarted smoking and want to stop permanently.

One of the metaphors I will always use to frame them for viewing themselves as successful is that they are LEARNERS.

I then give the example of learning to walk.  At some point during relating that metaphor, everyone laughs.  It is a nearly universal metaphor.  We all either learned to move from crawling to walking, have been a parent watching thrilled to see our children learn to move from crawling to walking, or have seen other young children move from crawlers to toddlers.

We encourage, extol, and praise out loud young children when they first move from crawling to walking.  "Oh wow!  What a great job!  You did so great!"  Praise, praise, praise."You're such a great walker."

What did you tell your child when they first stood upright and then fell over onto their rump?

This is the part where they laugh.

"You're a loser.  You'll never be a walker."

Nope.  "Wow! Look at you!  You're an excellent walker."

You at that first moment nano-second of success, you became a Success and a Walker.

At their first moment of success, they are A Success.  For however many days they stop, they are A Success.  Like crawlers learning to walk, they are incrementally learning to succeed at now being Smoke Free.

I use this in talking about Stopping Smoking.  However, you can always use this Learning How to Do It for anytime you want to Frame becoming successful at doing something and reframing for a Success Mindset.  Whatever you want to achieve, it will take some self application and effort, and you CAN do it.  Just like you successfully learned to walk.

It also can a great frame to gently tease adults now to Praise Themselves for each incremental moment and day they are successful.  Praise and Affirm yourself/themselves.

What are some of YOUR favorite metaphors and mental frames for affirming Success for yourself and for your clients?

To your success,

April Braswell, MH

Quit Smoking with Hypnosis Costa Mesa