# New Behaviour Generator
Creating new, helpful behaviours is a key skill in NLP and an important step toward positive change. Instead of just trying to stop old habits, the New Behaviour Generator helps you build a practical game plan, like putting together a custom toolkit for your mind.
At the centre of this process is working with “parts.” Think of each part as an inner role or strategy you can use, like “the confident speaker” or “the good negotiator.” This pattern helps you build or strengthen these parts and add them to your collection of behaviours.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
On the surface, it might seem simple, just swap a bad behaviour for a better one. But the change goes deeper when you approach it step by step, using all your senses (what you see, hear, and feel), while making sure other parts of your personality are okay with it. Let’s walk through how to bring a new behaviour to life.
Step 1:
Identify the Problem and the Part You Want
Start by picking a specific situation where your current response isn’t working well. Then, figure out what kind of “part” or strategy would help you handle things better. For instance, if you struggle to speak up in meetings, you might need an “assertive part.”
Think of these “parts” by what they do, confidence, calmness, creativity, not as separate personalities, but as tools you can grab when you need them.
Step 2:
Find and Build Up Your Desired Part
Bring to mind the feeling of this new part. Remember any times, even tiny moments, when you showed hints of this behaviour. Make these memories bigger and richer using all your senses: picture what you saw, replay what you heard, reconnect with what you felt.
If you want to be more assertive, think back to even brief moments when you stood up for yourself. Take these small pieces and build them into a fuller picture by adding the sights, sounds, and feelings.
Step 3:
Watch Yourself Practice
Now, imagine “movies” of yourself using this new part in real situations, but watch from the outside, like you’re viewing yourself on a screen. This bird’s-eye view lets you practice and improve the behaviour without getting caught up in old feelings.
Watch yourself being assertive, organised, or calm, and notice what tweaks you’d suggest if you were coaching yourself from the sidelines.
Step 4:
Check for Problems
Ask yourself: Does any part of me have a problem with this new behaviour? Pay attention to both your thoughts and your body’s signals (like tension or gut feelings) to spot any resistance. This step makes sure the new part fits smoothly without causing inner conflict.
If any part of you objects, just notice it without judgment; even weird concerns can point to something important.
Step 5:
Fix Issues and Get Excited
Adjust your mental movie to address any concerns or resistance. Change the script, add resources, or tweak the situation until all your inner parts feel good about the change.
At the same time, build up your motivation, create a strong feeling that this new way of acting isn’t just possible, but something you really want that fits with your bigger goals.
Step 6:
Step Into It and Create a Trigger
Once everything feels right, replay the scenario again, but this time, jump into your own body. Feel the new behaviour from the inside. Experience what you’d see, hear, and feel as if you’re actually doing it.
Create an anchor, a gesture, word, or physical action that can help you trigger this state when you need it in the future.
Step 7:
Tell Your Mind to Build the Part
Give your unconscious mind clear instructions: take the lessons, insights, and motivation from these practice runs and build a strong, effective “part” that’s ready whenever you need it. Picture your mind as a skilled builder, creating the perfect tool for the job that will work automatically.
Step 8:
Try It Out and Improve
Test your new part in real life. Notice how it shows up and how you can fine-tune it with practice. If you need to make changes, go back to any earlier steps to adjust, strengthen, or clarify the part.
Practical Tips
When using this pattern, start with behaviours that build on what the person can already do. For example, if someone is very shy, don’t aim for “life of the party” right away; work on feeling comfortable and relaxed around others.
This process is about turning on and boosting abilities you already have, not creating brand-new ones from nothing. Learning major new skills, like playing tennis, needs the full NLP modelling process, but for emotional and strategic states (like confidence or assertiveness), the New Behaviour Generator works great.
The bottom line: you already have what you need. This process helps you rearrange those pieces into something new, practical, and empowering.
Change isn’t just about wishing things were different. It’s about setting up your mind to act “as if”, and giving your unconscious the blueprint to make it happen.