NLP: Simple Tools for Immediate Results - by Owen Fitzpatrick

One of the things that I think is most important in the field of personal change is the accessibility of it. I remember years ago when I was just a teenager fumbling about in the world of NLP and Hypnotherapy, learning a mixture of simple ideas that seemed too easy to be effective and complicated, hugely worded life changing patterns that seemed so powerful and yet never proved understandable.

I soon realized that they were all the same. The vast majority of ideas that work are the same. They are presented in different ways and applied to different issues. But they are largely the same. Every invention of a new field simply adds one or two slight variations on what we already know. But as ever, the packaging of ideas sways the public opinion and we get to buy the same ideas in different guises continuously searching for the idea that changes everything.

When we first started teaching NLP Practitioner courses in Ireland back in 2001, there were many people using and teaching NLP but not giving it credit. Instead, they would invent their own 'brand' of NLP. Now, I have no problem with different branding but claiming their 'brand' is far better than NLP when they are using the same stuff was wrong to me.

So, we have been teaching NLP because that's what we have been teaching. We could have called ourselves the new gurus of personal geniusmatic legendary status who used to do NLP until we discovered the new system that really works which is way better because.... because.... eh...because we claim it is. But we didn't. We called it what it was. NLP.

Okay, so without bringing another soapbox into what I'm saying… what do I mean by simple. Okay… first… let's look at a couple of the most successful NLPers of all time. We first have Richard Bandler… the co-creator. In my opinion a true genius. He tells stories that captivate attention and can help you personally transform. You can understand him. The smartest man in the field and he doesn't make things seem complicated. He is about simplicity. Paul McKenna next. He makes everything as simple as it is. Hence, his books are bestsellers. He takes the stuff that works and he shares it in an accessible way.

NLP is full of simple tools for immediate results. Have a phobia? You do the fast phobia cure. Even if you do it badly it will help. Feel bad? You learn to change your beliefs and attitude using the meta model, submodalities or anchoring and you create the life you want through well formed outcomes. Stressed? You master self hypnosis and learn to run your brain more effectively so you control your responses. Need Motivation? You learn the strategy you have to motivate yourself in another context and learn to use that motivation where you need it or you figure out which meta programs to use to best propel you to take action. You want to persuade someone? You master the use of the meta model, milton model, anchoring, sleight of mouth patterns, calibration etc etc.

To me, NLP is not a hobby that I like to talk about. It's also not just my work. I travel the world teaching it and I love doing that but I see it as a set of skills that make an immediate and brilliant difference in my life when I use them. My second book Not Enough Hours was all about my television show in Ireland where I helped people manage their time and lives better. The hundreds of tips I give people aren't complicated, intellectual theories on time or radically new systems. They are the tips that work… quickly and easily. I see NLP as the same way. You do this and you get this result. When people approach it this way, it can be so effective it's tremendous.

That doesn't mean by the way that I am proposing some secret that you do once and it changes your life. It's like getting fit. You have to learn what to do and apply it consistently on a regular basis and build the habits that can help you. So, it's not "the secret" to life transformation nor is it a panacea. It's a set of skills that you can use that help you get results.

I'm a real simpleton. I can understand complicated ideas but I have to put them in my brain in a simple format. So apologies if you like spending many hours struggling with concepts that seem far harder than they are. My aim is to get the ideas out to as many people as possible so they get as great results as possible as quickly as possible.

It's funny how many people do an NLP course and still want someone to cure them of their problems even though they've learned so many valuable ideas already. So here's a guide into the wonderful world of personal change.

1) If they do coaching and they have any sort of NLP qualification… probably they are doing mostly NLP regardless of whatever they call it.

2) No matter how many complicated names you hear, what you are learning is actually quite simple once you get through the crowded house of unnecessary adjectives and three syllabled nouns.

3) If it's simple, it can still be really powerful. But only if you actually apply it. If you don't do it, chances are it won't work. :)

4) Gravitate towards people who explain things easily. They probably know more about what's going on than those who hide behind intellectual formulations.

5) Whenever you learn something, get into the habit of listing down every different context you can think of that you could use this in.

6) Avoid those who ramble about how great NLP is and find out for yourself. Apply, practice and use the ideas you learn and feel great about how much better life can get.

7)  Just because NLP can be really simple, it doesn't mean it'll change everything overnight. Be patient, use the skills and learn what you can. Just remember, if it seems hard… it probably isn't.

Owen Fitzpatrick is co-founder of THE IRISH INSTITUTE OF NLP with Brian Colbert in Ireland and regularly runs courses such as NLP Practitioner, NLP Business Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner and NLP Coaching Seminars. He is the co-author of CONVERSATIONS WITH RICHARD BANDLER with Richard Bandler and author of Not Enough Hours. He has taught NLP around the world in more than 14 countries. His websites are www.nlp.ie and www.owenfitzpatrick.com and Owen will soon be offering a free special report on NLP through owenfitzpatrick.com. Contact him at owen@owenfitzpatrick.com to be kept up-dated.