The early achievement of goals by some people can be attributed to various reasons and behaviors. Usually it is not linked to the innate abilities of the individual, but more often to the result of constant commitment and an effective strategy. What is certain is that they are clear about what they want to achieve; Neuro Linguistic Programming helps us with this.
Do you know what NLP is?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is an approach to learning, communication and personal change. NLP is based on the idea that there is a connection between neural processes (neuro), language (linguistics) and patterns of behavior learned through experience (programming).
It is a discipline that allows you to improve yourself and your communication with others, so as to obtain high quality personal and professional results.
But above all it teaches you how to become aware of the mechanisms and processes that govern your mind, land your emotions, your behaviors and your habits.
The “Well-Formed” Goal
Now that you know what NLP is, let’s talk about how to make a goal clear and understandable. In NLP, a well-formed goal is a clear, positive, and specific statement of what you want to achieve. Well-formed goals are essential because they help you focus your mind and create an effective action plan to achieve your goal.
The main characteristics of a Well Formed Goal in NLP are:
- Positive: define the goal using positive phrases. Very often it happens that people are not so clear about what they want. For this reason, we will have to start from what we do not want in order to focus on what does not make us feel good. What do you want specifically?
- Responsible: For a goal to be a goal, it must be under your control or at least under your influence, and the resources you use must be under your control as well.
What resources do you have to make it happen?
- Sensory: you must be able to represent your goal, or rather your result, as if it were already achieved. Also use the 5 senses, so that you know it not only conceptually but through experience.
What will you see, hear, feel?
- Integrated: it must be able to be integrated into your life.
How will your way of achieving it impact your family, friends, or work?
- Tempo: must have a date by which to achieve it.
How long do you want to reach your goal in?
- verifiable and measurable: must have the right mix of feasibility and motivation.
What metrics will you use to measure your progress?
For example: “I would like to invoice more”
Transforming this into a well-formed goal in NLP will become:
“By January (timeframe) I want to invoice €5,000 per month (specific and measurable)”
This goal is time-bound because it specifies the date by which the goal must be achieved and is measurable and specific because it indicates how much must be earned and measurable because progress can be measured.
Now you have the tool for your change
NLP is a useful tool for personal change, but it is important to exercise caution and discernment in using NLP and to consider it as one of the many resources available for personal and professional improvement.
Of course, we must not forget that after the goal we must define an action plan, but we will talk about this in the next post/blog!