Just like it sounds, this NLP ‘presupposition’ is about taking responsibility for your life and your choices, rather than blaming it on external factors. You may want to read the earlier articles about this presupposition and about putting yourself ‘at cause’ before you continue.
Some ways to make this principle work for you:
- If something happens that you don’t like, ask yourself “What’s going on here? Where can I make a difference? What do I want instead of this in the future?”
- Identify what you would like more of in your life, and what you would like less of. If nothing changed in your situation, what changes could you make in your actions and what you pay attention to that would start improving things? What are you giving your time, attention or energy to which could be better spent elsewhere? Examples might be – money spent on a daily paper or capuccino (it quickly mounts up), time spent on social networks or watching TV, attention given to problems and complaints while your achievements and the things you love are ignored.
- If you’re blaming someone else for problems in your life, ask yourself: “What is the most useful thing I can do about this now?” and “What would happen if I take responsibility?”
- In any situation at all, you can ask: “What’s the right thing to do?”
- If you’re ever anxious, stressed or unhappy, ask yourself: “What am I most resisting doing right now?”
- When facing a challenge, ask yourself: “What do I need to do to put myself in the best state to handle this?”
- At any time when you’re feeling uninspired or you’re putting off doing something, ask yourself: “What’s the smallest thing I can do right now to move towards where I want to be?”
Many of these make great coaching questions as well.
© 2012 – 2019, Andy Smith. All rights reserved.
