By untying your nots, you can use them to achieve your goals and improve your life.

The word “not” can activate possibility thinking – breaking up writer’s block, reenergizing brain storming sessions, sparking new and innovative thinking, and much more.

In Rapid Eye Technology (RET), the word “not” is used in very specific ways in certain processes known collectively as scramblers or colloquially as “not-nots.” A scrambler is simply a series of statements using the word “not” to confuse and break state often. The RET eye directing device (wand) is moved in specific patterns to enhance the effect. However, useful results can be obtained without the use of the wand or the movement of the eyes for those unfamiliar with RET or wishing to use these powerful processes for themselves on their own.

Obviously, you would not do the processes the same way as you would if you were in a RET session. You would also be hampered by not having a RET therapist handy to work with you. Nevertheless, the processes I’m going to describe may work well for you anyway. Try them out and see for yourself.

Process 1 – Untying your own nots

Use this process when you are stuck in a rut, wanting to make a quick incremental (small) life change – like making more money or improving your golf game.

1)      Think about what is stuck or not moving in your life – what you want to change. Speak it out loud to yourself – “I am stuck doing [whatever].” Include whatever “and” statements make it real to you. For example, “I’m stuck being poor and I can never make enough to pay my bills.” Just say it the way you mean it.

2)      Cover one eye with the palm of your hand – keep both eyes open.

3)      Say out loud to yourself the following slowly (pause between each statement and think about it for 5 seconds)

a)      I am stuck. <pause 5 seconds> (ex: “I am stuck being poor.”)

b)      I am not stuck. <pause 5 seconds>(ex: “I am not stuck being poor.”)

c)      I am not not stuck. <pause 5 seconds>(ex: “I am not not stuck being poor.”)

4)      Cover the other eye and repeat the previous step

5)      Pause for a moment and explore this statement: “If I were not stuck, what would I be?”

Process 2 – Getting out of your own way

Use this process of nots to stop undermining your own efforts. Maybe you’ve noticed over time a pattern of sabotage – undermining your own efforts. Usually you can put it into words like, “Every time I try to [blank], I [blank]” The first blank is filled in with your desired goal and the second with the way you sabotage yourself. For example, “Every time I try to ask for a raise, I stumble over my words and look like an idiot.”

Think about the way you sabotage your own efforts – maybe make a list of the ways you’ve seen yourself do it.

1)      Focus your attention on one way you sabotage your efforts.

2)      Cover one eye with the palm of your hand – keep both eyes open.

3)      Say out loud to yourself the following slowly (pause between each statement and think about it for 5 seconds)

a)      I am doing [sabotage behavior]. <pause 5 seconds> (ex: “I am stumbling over my words.”)

b)      I am not doing [sabotage behavior]. <pause 5 seconds>(ex: “I am not stumbling over my words.”)

c)      I am not not doing [sabotage behavior]. <pause 5 seconds>(ex: “I am not not stumbling over my words.”)

4)      Cover the other eye and repeat the previous step

5)      Pause for a moment and explore this statement: “If I were not sabotaging my own efforts, what would I be doing?”

6)      Repeat from step 2 with a new way you sabotage your efforts.

7)      Continue the whole process until you have run out of ways you sabotage yourself.

Process 3 – Increasing ability and skill

Use this process to improve your game, make more sales, enrich your life. Maybe you are looking for a way to get an edge or improve what you are already doing well. This might look like the statement, “If I didn’t [blank], I could [blank].” The first blank would be filled in with what keeps you from your goal and the second with your goal. For example, “If I didn’t triple putt every hole, I could beat par for the course.”

1)      Think about what it is that keeps you from doing better.

2)      Cover one eye with the palm of your hand – keep both eyes open.

3)      Say out loud to yourself the following slowly (pause between each statement and think about it for 5 seconds)

a)      I am doing [what keeps you from doing better]. <pause 5 seconds> (ex: “I am triple putting every hole.”)

b)      I am not doing [what keeps you from doing better]. <pause 5 seconds>(ex: “I am not triple putting every hole.”)

c)      I am not not doing [what keeps you from doing better]. <pause 5 seconds>(ex: “I am not not triple putting every hole.”)

4)      Cover the other eye and repeat the previous step

5)      Pause for a moment and explore this statement: “If I were not doing [what keeps you from doing better], what would I be doing?”

Covering one eye during the process is crucial to gaining access to hidden information you need from your non-dominant brain hemisphere. The “not nots” tend to tease the mind with possibilities and confuse the dominant brain hemisphere. The “I am” statement tends to focus attention on the issue at hand while simultaneously addressing the strongest and most powerful logic level – identity.

Some possible variations

1)      Before covering one eye with the palm of your hand, picture yourself doing what you want to do, the way you sabotage yourself, or whatever you are doing that keeps you from peak performance. Notice how the image changes as you proceed with the process.

2)      While you are doing the statements, blink your eyes a few times.

3)      Instead of (or perhaps in addition to) covering your eye, do the following eye movements:

a)      While looking far to the left, say statement 1 – I am…

b)      While looking far to the right, say statement 2 – I am not…

c)      While looking far left again, say statement 3 – I am not not…

d)      Reverse the order – starting with looking far right and saying statement 1 – I am…

e)      Same as the previous idea with the eyes traveling up and down (vertically) or diagonally instead of horizontally. Remember to always reverse the order of the movement/statement so as to capture as much information as you can.