All about State Management

About this episode

Have you ever walked into a situation completely 'on' — clear, connected, in control — and wondered why you can't access that every time? You can. And it's simpler than you think. In this episode, NLP Master Trainer and Ericksonian coach Doug O'Brien teaches one of the most essential and practical NLP tools in existence: the Circle of Excellence. It's a body-mind anchoring technique that lets you choose your emotional state — and access it on demand — for any situation. Because you are not at the mercy of your circumstances. That person who "makes you mad" doesn't make you anything. You do. And once you understand that, you can change everything. 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 📚 The User's Guide to Storytelling (book + bonus class): https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/users-guide-to-storytelling 🎓 Essential Coaching Skills Membership: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 🌐 Website: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com 📧 Newsletter: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter 🎙️ ABOUT DOUG O'BRIEN Doug O'Brien is an NLP Master Trainer, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and coach with over 35 years of experience. Certified by Tony Robbins and endorsed by Richard Bandler and Robert Dilts. He teaches coaches, therapists, and practitioners how to create lasting behavior change through NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis, storytelling, and nervous system-aligned coaching. 0:00 Why your state determines everything you do 0:34 The body-mind connection: we are one organism 1:04 Why circumstances don't control your emotions — you do 2:04 The traveling salesman and the fake lottery win 4:52 What Tony Robbins got right (and what to watch out for) 5:21 Peak state isn't always firewalk state 6:18 The Circle of Excellence: what it is and how it works 7:46 Body posture exercise: stand like you're depressed (then don't) 9:38 Motion equals emotion — the Tony Robbins principle 10:06 The Botox study: why you can't feel what your face can't mirror 12:24 How to anchor a state using color and memory 13:20 Real example: anchoring anger for punk rock, love for ballads 14:18 How to pick the right color and emotion for your circle 16:36 Step-by-step: entering, feeling, and breaking the state 17:06 Live demo: anchoring the coaching state (open and connected) 20:08 How to fire the anchor instantly without thinking 20:38 Choosing the right state for the right situation 21:37 You are in charge of your state 22:08 Closing: take control, stop letting circumstances lead ----------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/