Dilts Pyramid (Logical Levels Model)

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I live the way I do?” or “Why do I have what I have?” If so, today I want to share an answer to that question and tell you about the Dilts Pyramid. At least, I’ll explain it as I understand it.

Robert Dilts, one of the most renowned experts and developers in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)—and someone I personally admire for his work with writers and journalists—proposed a convenient model for describing your life in the form of a pyramid.

The unique feature of this model is that for each level of the pyramid, the answer to “Why is this so?” lies one level above.

The lowest level of the pyramid, your environment and daily life, answers the question, “What do I have?” This includes your finances, your job or business, your home, your family, your social circle, and so on.

If you ask, “Why do I have what I have?” you’ll need to look to the second level, which is about your actions. This level answers, “What do I do?” It’s clear that what you do day after day greatly affects what you end up having.

If you wonder, “Why do I do what I do?” the answer is found at the third level, the level of strategies. This level answers, “How do I choose?” The way you make decisions, the strategies you follow (“strive for more” or “take it easy,” “live for today” or “plan for years ahead,” etc.) determines how you act in each situation. For example, after coming home from work, will you read professional literature, exercise, or just drink beer in front of the TV? At work, will you propose new projects and take responsibility, or stick to familiar, routine tasks?

If you ask yourself, “Why do I choose what I choose?” you’ll need to go up another level in the Dilts Pyramid to find the answer.

The fourth level is your beliefs, which answers, “What do I believe in?” For example, if you believe that getting a good job is only possible through connections, you probably won’t put much effort into studying. But if you’re convinced that persistence overcomes any obstacle, it’s natural for you to try again and again if something doesn’t work out.

And if you ask, “Why do I believe what I believe?” the fifth level of the pyramid, which deals with self-awareness and identity, will help you figure it out. This level answers, “Who am I?” Your beliefs are largely shaped by your answer to this question. Clearly, someone who says, “I’m a failure and nobody needs me,” will have a very different worldview from someone who says, “I’m a genius and born to succeed.”

Finally, the top level of the pyramid is the level of mission or life purpose. It answers, as you might guess, “Why do I live?” In my opinion, this level is accessible mainly to religious people, since it assumes that the meaning of your life lies outside of life itself and is assigned by someone or something beyond you.

Why should you know about the Dilts Pyramid? First, it helps you better understand why you live the way you do and why you have what you have—it allows for a quick self-analysis. Second, it helps you see what exactly you need to change in your life to get a different, more satisfying result—and for that, you need to move up one or more levels in the pyramid.

As one principle of systems analysis says, “A problem usually cannot be solved at the level at which it was created.”

If you’re unhappy with what you have—your environment or finances—the Dilts model shows that you need to change your actions. If the right actions aren’t bringing the desired results, you need to change your overall strategy. If you’re unsure how to change your strategy, it’s time to examine your beliefs—something there may need to shift. And so on.

So, ladies and gentlemen—now that you’ve applied the Dilts model to yourself, have you noticed where your life has been stuck and what you need to do to get it moving again?

The Benefits of the Dilts Pyramid

• Solving long-standing problems and breaking destructive habits.

There are problems we carry with us for a long time. We know the cause, but still can’t break a bad habit like being late or finally learn a language. It’s been observed that the solution—or at least what can really move the problem forward—lies two levels above the problem itself.

Examples:

• The habit of being late is at the Behavior level. So, the solution should be sought two levels higher—at the Beliefs/Values level. For example, rethinking the value of “being a person of your word” can help solve chronic lateness.
• Difficulties communicating with certain people likely originate at the Environment level. Instead of just changing your behavior with them, look to the Capabilities level—develop skills in persuasion, engagement, and argumentation.
• If you think your struggles with a foreign language are about your Capabilities, look for a shift in your Identity—the role you want to play by knowing the language. For example, “I am a super-successful manager who travels the world freely without barriers.”
• Corporate problems can be analyzed in the same way.

While changes at the first three levels are common, changes at the top three are rare and challenging. For example, consider how much inner effort it would take to change your religion.

Technique: “Integration of Logical Levels”

This technique is simple. Take your goal and move through the pyramid from bottom to top, considering each level in relation to your desired result. In other words, break down your goal within yourself—then put things in order at each level.

What is happening at this level right now? What needs to change, what should be improved, what should be let go of and forgotten? It’s a simple technique, but it works well.