My ThinkRightNow!

The Time Line; an exercise in discovering how we organise our lives

In the last article we delved into the origins of NLP, and now we move on to a basic exercise that illustrates a small facet of how it can be used. In carrying out this exercise please feel free to modify it suit you - the principle is what matters, not the exact elements used.

1) Think of some small task that you do regularly, perhaps cleaning your teeth, showering, washing up - nothing major.
2) Visualise (imagine) yourself doing it recently - within the last week. Note everything you can about that image; is it black and white or colour? How large is it? Does it have solidity, or is it faint? Mostly note where it is - do you look up or down to it, left or right, in front of you or behind?
3) Do the same with the occasion about 3-6 months ago.
4) Likewise but now move to the near future, about a week or so ahead.
5) Same but move further into the future, say 3-6 months
6) Review all the images until a pattern emerges - that pattern is your Time Line.

Some people find this very easy, and are amazed that such a thing exists, others find it takes a little more effort, but sooner or later you’ll get that “aha” moment as you realise that the way you organise your life is not random. Nor is it in your genes - you are not born with a time line. It is learnt from birth, and evolves through your early life, and it is certainly not “written in stone”. It can be modified, and you can have multiple time lines for different areas of your life - for example, some people have different time lines for work and play.

The two most common types of time line are “in time”, with past behind you (older being further back), present right up with you, and future ahead, and “by time” (sometimes called “through time” though I find this confusing and do not use it) where the whole line is in front of you running left to right (usually past to the left, future to the right in the Western world). There are however infinite variations on these, and there is certainly no right or wrong, better or worse - though each does have a range of typical characteristics as shown below. Please note these are generalisations only, and do differ from person to person.

In Time
Your time line runs through your body.
You live mostly in the now, past and future can be faint or remote.
You easily lose track of time.
Memories are associated - you are back in them at that time and you can easily relive the feelings.
Planning doesn’t come easily to you.
Imposed deadlines are difficult for you.
By Time
Your time line passes by your body.
Now is no more important to you than past or future.
You are aware of the passage of time.
Memories are dissociated - more like watching a movie, and you don’t tend to relive the feelings.
You like to plan.
Deadlines are important to you - you tend to set them and stick to them.