Self-management Sequence (Helmstetter, 2000)

The five steps that control our success or failure

1. Behavior
 Behavior means our actions. Each moment of each day will determine whether or not we
will be successful that moment or that day in everything that we do.
2. Feelings
 Every action we take is first filtered through our feelings.
 Our feelings are created, controlled, determined, or influenced by our attitudes.
3. Attitudes
 Our attitudes are the perspective from which we view life.
 Good attitudes are created, controlled, determined, or influenced entirely by our beliefs,
4. Beliefs
 What we believe about anything will determine our attitudes about it, create our feelings,
direct our actions, and influence us to do well or poorly, succeed or fail.
 Belief does not require something to be true. It only requires us to believe that it is true!
5. Programming
 We believe that we are programmed to believe. Our conditioning from the day we were
born has created, reinforced, and nearly permanently cemented most of what we believe
about ourselves and what we believe about most of what goes on around us.
 What we believe dictates our attitudes, affects our behavior, and determines our success
or failure, thus:
a. Programming creates beliefs;
b. Beliefs create attitudes;
c. Attitudes create feelings;
d. Feelings determine actions; and
e. Actions create results.

Levels of Self-talk (Helmstetter, 2000)

Self-talk is a way to override our past negative programming by erasing or replacing it

with conscious, positive new directions. It is practical way to live our lives by active intent rather
than by passive acceptance.

Level 1 Self-talk: The Level of Negative Acceptance (“I can’t…”)

The level of negative acceptance is the lowest, least beneficial, and the most harmful level of
self-talk. It is a self-talk by which you say something bad or negative about yourself, and you
accept it.

Level 2 Self-talk: The Level of Recognition and Need to Change (“I need to…I should…”)
 This level is beginning. On the surface, it looks as though it should work for us. But
instead, it works against us.

Level 3 Self-talk: The Level of Decision to Change (“I never… I no longer…”)

Level 3 is the first level of self-talk that works for us instead of against us. At this level.
We recognize the need to change, but also we make the decision to do something about it – and
we state the decision in the “present tense” – as though the change has already taken place.

Level 4 Self-talk: The Level of the Better You (“I am…”)

This is the most effective kind of self-talk we can ever use. This has been used the least,
but is needed the most.

Level 5 Self-talk: The Level of Universal Affirmation (“It is…”)

This level of self-talk has been spoken for thousands of years. It is as old as the ancient
religions which inspired it. It is the self-talk of “Oneness” with God.