How to Break Bad Habits Fast Using the NLP Swish Pattern
The Proven Mental Hack for Salespeople and Young Professionals Who Want Real Change
Bad habits can feel like chains—holding you back from becoming who you know you could be. Whether it’s procrastination, fear of rejection, anxiety before a sales call, or emotional overreactions… these patterns can keep you stuck in the same loop.
But what if you could change them?
Not in months.
Not in weeks.
But in minutes.
Welcome to the NLP Swish Pattern, a powerful, fast-acting tool from the world of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). It’s a method used by top salespeople, performers, and coaches to rewire the brain for better behaviors, faster responses, and more confidence.
What Is the NLP Swish Pattern?
The Swish Pattern is a simple yet incredibly effective mental technique that allows you to “swap out” an unwanted behavior or emotional reaction—and replace it with a more resourceful one.
It works by creating two mental images:
- One of the undesired behavior (e.g., self-doubt before a sales call)
- One of your ideal self (e.g., calm, confident, successful)
You then “swish” the images—fading the negative one out and bringing the powerful one in fast—literally rewiring your brain’s associations.
Think of it as a mental software update.
Why It Works (The Brain Science Behind It)
Our minds work through associations. A certain situation (like a tough client or cold calling) triggers an image, a memory, or a feeling—often without us even realizing it.
The Swish Pattern taps into the subconscious programming behind these reactions. When you consistently “interrupt” the old pattern and replace it with a new one, the brain starts associating the trigger with the new response instead.
This is especially powerful for salespeople and young professionals, who face constant emotional challenges:
→ Fear of rejection
→ Procrastination
→ Impostor syndrome
→ People-pleasing
→ Perfectionism
With the Swish Pattern, you can train your brain to react with confidence, calm, and certainty instead.
When to Use the Swish Pattern
This technique is ideal when you want to:
✅ Replace a self-defeating habit (like avoiding calls or doom-scrolling)
✅ Stop emotional overreactions (like fear, anxiety, or frustration)
✅ Feel more confident in specific situations
✅ Create a new behavior that feels automatic
The 6-Step Swish Pattern (Guided Summary)
You can follow this on your own or with the video on YouTube
Step 1: Identify the Behavior or Feeling You Want to Change
Think of a specific behavior that happens often and feels limiting. For example:
- “I freeze when I need to pitch.”
- “I keep scrolling instead of working.”
- “I feel anxious before following up.”
Pick one to start with.
Step 2: Create a Mental Image of That Behavior
Close your eyes and bring up a mental image that represents that behavior or feeling. See what you see, hear what you hear, feel what you feel.
- Is it in color or black & white?
- Is it close or far?
- Where is it located in your mind?
Now imagine placing that image in a frame—like a photo or a garbage bin. Let the image fade to black and white.
Step 3: Break the State
Before moving on, snap out of the image. Open your eyes, stretch, and think of something completely unrelated (your favorite food, a beach trip, a joke).
This clears your mental canvas.
Step 4: Create a Bright, Colorful Image of Your Ideal Self
Now imagine your best self—the version of you that already handles this situation perfectly. Confident. Calm. Powerful. Focused.
See yourself smiling, winning, doing the right thing.
Bring the image close. Make it bright and vivid—like a movie scene or a magazine cover.
Step 5: Swish!
Now for the magic.
Hold both images in your mind—one of the unwanted behavior, and one of the ideal self. Then swish them:
🌀 Push the unwanted image far away…
🌀 Pull the powerful self-image forward… FAST.
Do this quickly, and let the empowering image “smash” into place, replacing the old one.
Repeat 5–7 times until it becomes automatic.
Step 6: Test It
Think of the original trigger. How do you feel now?
If the old pattern starts to pop up, do the swish again. With repetition, your brain starts defaulting to the new response automatically.
Real-Life Example (Sales Context)
Let’s say you always feel anxiety before making a cold call. That’s your trigger.
You create a mental image of yourself hesitating at the phone—that’s your undesired behavior.
Then you picture yourself relaxed, smiling, picking up the phone, and delivering with confidence—that’s your desired state.
Using the Swish Pattern, you fade out the anxiety image and replace it with the confident one.
Over time, the brain learns that cold calls = confidence, not anxiety.
Watch or Listen to the Guided Trance
For best results, try the full Swish Pattern trance I’ve recorded on video. You can find it here:
👉 Watch the Swish Pattern Trance on YouTube
Use it a few times, especially when you’re alone and undistracted. The more you do it, the faster the new behavior becomes automatic.
Why Salespeople Love This Technique
💼 It’s fast. You don’t need years of therapy to change one behavior.
💼 It’s private. You can do it without anyone knowing.
💼 It’s repeatable. Use it for multiple behaviors.
💼 It works. I’ve seen it transform sales performance in a single week.
Bonus Tips for Using the Swish Pattern
- Stack it with affirmations. After the swish, say “This is who I am now.”
- Use real visuals. Print a photo of your ideal self or success vision.
- Anchor the feeling. Touch your hand, take a breath, or smile when you swish.
Final Thoughts: You’re Just One Swish Away…
The difference between the old you and the new you is just one powerful mental shift away. NLP isn’t magic—but it feels like it when it works.
So, the next time you feel stuck in an unhelpful pattern…
Swish it away.
Replace it with who you really are underneath.
Then go take the world by storm.
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