Increasingly I am seeing the benefits of ‘inoculation’.

Medicinally, inoculation means you receive just enough, a tiny amount of a sickness, to prompt your body to activate its defences against the harmful experience.

Gamewise, there is much to be said for prompting your mind against limiting beliefs by preparing in advance for what harmful effects might otherwise follow.

Let’s say you usually eject from a set after a quick opening. The harmful effect there is your sabotaging of your chances by bailing out too early before anything can happen.

I’ve been there in the past and it is quite a common happening for guys who are improving their skills – they get out while they are ahead, thereby retaining their positive frame.

The problem is if you bail out you are not going to close the deal.

Inoculation is a terrific technique here.

This means telling yourself that you know you normally bail out and it is because of reason X (you want to quit while ahead) and it is not helpful despite being comfortable in the moment.

You tell yourself you need to stay in set and not bail out and you think about the feeling of wanting to bail out in set and you imagine staying in there and having the girl smile and continue interacting passed the point you would otherwise have stayed. You imagine the longer term pay off of getting into a sexual relationship with her because you actively and consciously decided to stay in set.

Then when you are out in the field and you feel that autopilot response (e.g. to eject while it is going well) you have trained your mind to consciously intercede and to force yourself by your active decision to stay in set and to pursue that reward.

We, as humans, have a marvellous gift. We have consciousness and do NOT have to follow our whims and initial reactions. If you have watched an educational video on the dangers of road rage, the next time you feel that anger swelling on the highway you can more readily step in and consciously intervene.

Much is the case with the field. Once you are aware of a sticking point, you can inoculate yourself against it by consciously deciding you will watch for it happening. By preparing your mind for it you can step in and take control of that otherwise largely unconscious response.