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Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, was developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970s. What started out as a study of why some very successful psychotherapists were so effective turned into its own method for self-improvement.

It’s different from traditional self-improvement, therapies, and positive thinking methods because it relies largely on a method called modeling and focuses on what works. It works off of certain presuppositions, and sometimes, it even disregards the truth.

For example, it presupposes that if you want to make a change in your life, that you have all the resources that you need. Other presuppositions include things like there is no such thing as failure. As Tony Robbins tells us, you’re either getting the results you want or you’re not, but failure doesn’t really exist.

It doesn’t matter whether or not the presupposition is true as long as it is useful. For example, have you ever used a hammer? Is a hammer true? Well it doesn’t really matter if a hammer is true or false in order for it to work.

Another presupposition in NLP is that people work perfectly. Even if someone is consistently getting results that they don’t want, they are not broken.

Often, many people assume that they need therapy because they are broken and need fixing. Some therapies seem to reinforce this idea. This has a tendency to turn people into victims and excuse their negative behavior in the future by imposing an inherent limitation. In a sense, these methods predict failure.

As an example, think about a negative belief you have about yourself and how it might be holding you back. Many of our negative beliefs are reinforced by years of listening to others. Take the case of someone who has been told all of their life that they’re a poor learner. They become a victim of their own self-limiting belief and spend their time on trying to fix their perceived learning problems instead of accomplishing their goals.

With neuro-linguistic programming, you would simply accept that whatever your results with learning have been in the past, it has been perfect. Remember also that another presupposition of NLP is that you have all the resources at your disposal to make a change. In other words, you can learn anything you want to learn right now, regardless of past results.

Professionals in the life coaching field utilize a similar concept that says that the present is perfect. This allows you to accept that things are as they should be and gives you the power to make changes in your life.

Another principle of success used in NLP is the belief that if someone can achieve a certain result, then you can too by modeling their process. It’s also flexible enough to embrace the concept that if what you’ve been doing isn’t working for you, then you should change your methods until you get the desired results.

One of the most famous students of neuro-linguistic programming is Tony Robbins. Tony became very well known for showing people how to achieve quick turn-arounds in their lives, and developed his own brand of self-improvement in part, based on NLP techniques.

There are a number of resources online where you can learn the basic techniques and principles, and many life coaches and NLP practitioners you can work with to take things to the next level. If you’re looking for a practical and effective approach to life change, then NLP may just be for you.

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Tags: Self Help