Habit Project

Day 21 of 21: My secret shame Some of you know my big dream. I want to help bring hypnotherapy into the mainstream. How? By leveraging one of the most powerful forces ever created: a TV show. I've had this dream for many years, to create, produce, and host the TV show. The show would dispel myths, show client sessions, and teach viewers simple emotional management skills for living a happier life. ...Continue reading

Day 20 of 21: The problem with making a big change using hypnosis When a client has a big problem, I will sometimes share three options with the client. 1. Let's resolve that big problem....Continue reading

Day 19 of 21: I fell flat on my face. Fairly soon upon became a hypnotherapist, I had business consulting clients from San Francisco hire me. They weren't hiring me to be the company's hypnotist. They wanted me to apply my hypnotherapy, business, and finance skills, not actually hypnotize their executives or staff....Continue reading

Day 18 of 21: Systems thinking, yawn Want to quickly shut down a conversation at a party? Start talking about systems thinking. Most people will politely excuse themselves. That's why I don't bring up systems thinking when I first meet someone. I politely wait at least two minutes. Kidding, mostly.... I don't recall when I started thinking in systems or in structural ways, but I can remember being a senior in high school working at a fast food restaurant. And when we got busy, we really got busy. So busy, as a fry cook, it was impossible to keep up at times. The orders appeared too quickly on my monitor, and I had to manage multiple fryer buckets while also moving around my work station to get items. But then I had an insight. Why do I need to simply react? I can change the system I work under. I will analyze what I can do to prepare for the rush, and then when the rush hits, I'll be ready for it. As a small example, the chicken tenders were in the refrigerator, or wait, was it the freezer? Hmm... I think it was the refrigerator. Or was it the freezer? Wait a minute, I think it was the refrigerator. Oh, let's drop it, since it's not what we need. Let's just say refrigerator. I would normally go to the refrigerator, grab the right number of chicken tenders, and then walk to the fryer. Then I'd put them into the fryer. But I had a new idea! Why waste time counting the right number of chicken tenders? I could save time by improving the system. I then started putting the right number of chicken tenders into small containers. That way, if someone ordered it, I could quickly grab a single container and skip the counting step, skip the transferring the tenders one by one, and thus save time. Sure, I couldn't control the flow of orders. But I could be more prepared for the giant wave coming my way. And in my hypnotherapy practice, I can't control all the variables. But by thinking in systems, and also thinking about bigger structures, I can manage the change process in a more comprehensive manner. As for structures, it's about understanding the client's issue in a deeper way, so I don't get distracted by the bring shiny objects we talk about. So I don't get distracted by the details that don't affect the change. And instead I can focus on the elements that do matter. This isn't an easy thing to do. But in my opinion, that's the job of a hypnotist, to learn how to separate the details that matter from those than distract.

Day 17 of 21: Blackjack blues When I was in my 20s, I wanted to be a hedge fund manager and later own a hedge fund. I was working at a financial services firm, and I wasn't getting paid much. At some point, I had the idea to supplement my income by playing blackjack. What inspired that idea? I don't recall. But I do recall getting excited by it. As I began to teach myself the game, I quickly realized that if I went down this road, I would be a blackjack robot. ...Continue reading