Wait? What? Did you read that right!!!?

How can someone who has been involved in NLP for so long even start an article with this title? NLP doesn’t work? Of course it does! Or does it?

In my private practice, in the training room and in my real life I meet people all the time who are looking for a quick fix to an issue or a major jump toward a goal. And there are SO many NLP Practitioners and NLP Trainers in the world who purport that NLP is a quick fix. And I see advertisement and marketing expelling this same idea. I get an image of ‘Superman’’(or woman) in my mind with these super powers and with a booming voice “You’re depressed? I can fix you!”

So, I’m here to tell you NLP doesn’t work.

That’s right. NLP doesn’t work. You work NLP.

To me, in my model of the world – I can’t just DO NLP to someone and they are fixed. Same goes with myself. If I have a fear of something, just doing a Swish Pattern might not get rid of it totally. It might!!! But, it really depends on what is beneath the fear and the unconscious patterns therein.

I can understand about somone’s meta programs, their filters, their primary representational system – but unless I use that information it doesn’t do me any good. For NLP to work, first I need to do NLP WITH someone or myself and second, I need to continue to work NLP (this is where homework for clients comes in!!)

I can know NLP and still have a crappy moment or life. Just knowing it doesn’t do anything. For NLP to work, you’ve got to work NLP!

The unconscious mind works on the path of least resistance – and sometimes creating a new neurological pathway take a bit of time. Sometimes when I use an NLP tool, like Changing Submodalities, I get an instiant result and it changes my neuro-pathways and therefore creates a new path for least resistance.

Yet sometimes (most of the time to be honest), I need to use quite a few NLP tools to create a change and then solidify that change in my everyday life. For example, some of you may know about my old floordrobe. You know, this is the place in my bedroom where I march through the clothes scattered there! I have had this habit for as long as I can remember – and now at 42 years of age I know its time to change it (for me!). I’ve used the Swish Pattern, New Behaviour Generator, Goal in the Future, Well Formed Outcome, Unconscious Pattern Change…. And it is a lot easier! But, I still CATCH MYSELF every now and then doing the old behaviour and I have to consciously amend my behaviours which reinforces the changes that I’ve made. If I just expect a magic wand come out and change me, I’ll probably be disappointed!

So I need to work NLP. I use NLP consciously in my life all the time. I build rapport, I use NLP tools to enhance my state, change my behaviours and change beliefs. But I use my sensory acuity skills with myself and others to track what’s going on.

NLP isn’t a magic wand, a magic pill or seed. It is a set of tools that help us to do better in all areas of our lives. And we can USE what we know and do better. Or, we can continue to do what we’ve always done although we have an exceptional toolbox at hand.

In NLP we have a presupposition (assumption) that states: when you know better you can do better. This doesn’t mean that you will do better, it means you can do better. It’s about choice. NLP has another couple presuppositions for this:

  • Choice is better than no choice and
  • NLP helps to create awareness of Choice and Wholeness

So yes, the title is correct. NLP doesn’t work – YOU work NLP.

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