What is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)?

nlp

We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act,

but a habit.

A few weeks ago, we did a short post on “EI,” which stands for emotional intelligence. Today we will take on another set of commonly used abbreviations. In a world that seems consumed with abbreviations, many of which are only fully understood by industry ”insiders,” it is hard to keep up; but we try. One of the more popular ones that you have probably seen floating around lately, and should become more familiar with is “NLP.” This stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. Today, we will try to take a step back and sort out some of the basics for you. To discuss a thing, you must first be able to define it.

What is NLP?

NLP, or Neuro Linguistic Programming, is an incredibly useful behavioral science that can help you change your life. Developed in the 1970s, it combines techniques from neurology, computer science, and linguistics to help people achieve their potential.

NLP has been described as the science of excellence in humans and involves modeling the language structure and behavior of successful people. Put simply, if you want to be a happy, successful person, you cannot go wrong by thinking, talking, and behaving the way happy, successful people do. And if you can learn to utilize NLP in your speaking, you will be able to persuade and convince others with greater success, too!

The Basics

There are many variations of NLP, so there will likely always be debate between the practitioners that some are doing it all wrong. Even with these hotbed of debates, the basic principles are the same, and all can agree that it works to make your life more fulfilling.

The two biggest principles of NLP are that the map is not the territory, and that both life and mind are systemic processes. What does that mean? Glad you asked. Let’s take a quick look at them.

1. The map is not the territory. This means that, as people, we have no way to actually completely understand reality. Instead, we understand and act upon our perceptions of that reality, and those perceptions may be flawed. We use our senses to create a map of what we believe is there. These maps are what determine our behavior, not the reality itself. If your map is skewed, you’ll behave in ways that are skewed, too.

2. Life and mind are systemic processes. This means that the things going on inside your mind and body, and between you and your environment, cannot truly be isolated from one another. Trying to do so will not result in success.

Every NLP technique you encounter is based on these two principles. These NLP techniques can help you understand how your brain works, how you store information, and how to change your behaviors to ones that are more desirable.

The Benefits

1. Career. NLP can help you become more effective in your career. It can help you build up your skills in teamwork, personal development, coaching, leadership, sales, and productivity. No matter what it is, if there is some potential for growth and human interaction is present, NLP can help you.

2. Goal-getting. You can use NLP to help you set and achieve goals, as long as those goals are intelligent, measurable, meaningful and achievable. For example, no program can guarantee you that you can earn three million dollars in a month unless you already have some logical means to draw this kind of income. But, this method could be something you can use to successfully strengthen your skills and interactions with others. It can help you change the way you think and speak, and motivate you to take appropriate actions to achieve your goals.

3. Mental Health. NLP can help you with some of your mental or emotional disorders and phobias. NLP can help bring you a happier and more fulfilling life.

If you are interested in learning how to make a change in your life, NLP just might be the tool that you have been searching for. Quite simply, NLP involves studying successful people and the steps they take to achieve such success. Overcoming phobias, learning how to speak with confidence in front of large groups, and learning how to have a loving personal relationship are all issues that can be helped with NLP techniques. Investigate your options with NLP; you may be pleasantly surprised by the difference it can make in your life!

Thoughts?

More specific information can be found at a friend’s blog- “Let Me Move You…”

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