Zunara Nauman
Education Specialist, Aflatoun International
I remember the days clearly. Every weekend, I walk through the mall, and there it is – a giant sign screaming “SALE!” in bold red letters. My heart races, and I feel an almost magnetic pull towards the racks filled with discounted clothes. The thrill of finding a great deal is always irresistible to me. Every time I see a sale sign in a store window, I feel an urge to splurge. “It’s a great deal!” I tell myself, justifying each purchase and ignoring the impact on my savings. I know I need to change my spending habits, but the thought of giving up my shopping addiction makes me want to cry.
One day, while reading Tony Robbins‘ book “Unlimited Power,” I came across the concept of “changing internal representation.” Robbins explains that this technique involves altering how we internally perceive something to change our feelings and behaviours. By changing the mental images or feelings we associate with certain behaviours or objects, we can shift our emotional responses and, ultimately, our actions.
For example, Robbins suggests that if someone craves chocolate but wants to stop eating it, they should change their internal representation of chocolate. Imagine the chocolate as a smelly, muddy block. Whenever they think of chocolate, the image of the muddy block appears in their mind. This unpleasant representation doesn’t create the same craving.
This concept, often used in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), helps people manage cravings, fears, or undesirable habits by changing the mental images or feelings they associate with certain behaviours or objects. Internal representation involves the mental images, sounds, and feelings we associate with different situations or objects. By changing these internal representations, we can shift our emotional responses and, ultimately, our actions.
I decided to put this internal representation technique to the test. Every time I encounter a “SALE” sign, take the following steps to apply the technique:
- Identify my triggers: My primary trigger is seeing sales at the mall. Every time I encounter a “SALE!” sign, it prompts impulsive spending. Recognising this pattern is the crucial first step.
- Change the mental image: I alter my perception of sale items. Instead of viewing them as great deals, I visualise my closet overflowing with outdated clothes. I imagine these clothes as seasonal leftovers, old-fashioned, and something everyone else in my circle wearing the same.
- Evaluate the consequences: I picture myself and assess the consequences after spending my savings on sale clothes as compared to enjoying a fun-filled vacation with my family or upgrading my vehicle. I always find that piles of clothes offer little value compared to quality time with family or saving money for a new vehicle.
- Picture the positive reinforcement: I create positive internal representations for saving money. I visualise the joy of watching my savings account grow and upgrading my vehicle instead of cluttering my closet. This positive imagery motivates me to save rather than spend impulsively.
To be honest, I’m not advocating for never buying from sales. Instead, I suggest being mindful and cautious if you find yourself frequently making impulsive, want-driven purchases. Use the technique of changing your internal representations to modify your feelings and behaviours towards purchasing urge.
This technique not only helps in getting rid of undesired habits but can also be used to implant healthy ones. It’s a simple yet powerful approach that can be applied to various aspects of life, helping to manage and control behaviours effectively.
We look forward to hearing back from you about:
- What triggers your spending?
- When you feel the urge to make a want-driven purchase, what will be your new internal representation of the item?
- Assess and evaluate the consequences of both giving in to and resisting impulsive spending.
- Imagine the picture where you managed to avoid impulsive spending, and the money saved achieved a financial goal for you.