Wisdom Strategy Research Institute

In the book NLP Volume 1, The Study of Structure of Subjective Experience, Robert Dilts and company start out by discussing environmental variables which are things we don't have control over and choice variables, which are those things we have a choice about.

We could say that NLP, and perhaps even more so, the work of Wisdom Strategy Research Institute, is about turning environmental variables into choice variables through specific outcomes.

One presupposition of NLP that is rarely discussed is that there are only choice variables. Another way to look at this is taking what was impossible, and making it possible. What if, in fact, anything that is possible for any human being, can also be possible for you? There might be times where that assumption isn't true, but you'll get to experience a lot more of life by starting from the premise that Anything IS Possible.

We can in fact, turn any and all wishes, desires, needs, lack, comparisons, envy, jealousy, problems, stuckness, complaints, blame, obstacles, excuses, limitations, failure, criticism, rejection, negativity and feedback into outcomes, and that opens the door to all manner of wonderful possibility. It's as easy as answering a few questions.

An outcome is a desired result that meets the conditions of achievability outlined below. This is extremely powerful. Actually it is a process for reclaiming our personal power. Once you go through this process for something, you get an amazing amount of clarity about it. With that clarity comes the power to change it.

When we make outcome specification an ongoing, continuous process, with which we meet every condition in life that is not to our liking, we live in the world of possibility, in the world of power. Suddenly, when this becomes a habit, we can do things that we couldn't before because we are no longer trapped by the illusion of reasons why things can't be.

The literature on leadership and success mentions things such as "Result Focused" or "Solution Focused". It seems sometimes like these are mysterious things. Here is the structure. Just get in the habit of asking these quesions, until you are constantly answering them spontaneously in your thoughts. When you reach that point, you'll find that you are in fact "Result and Solution Focused."

“There is no use trying, said Alice; one can't believe impossible things. I dare say you haven't had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” from Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carrol.

1. What do I want, specifically?
If you had already changed X, what would you want to be, do, or have instead?

---> Stated in the positive

2. Specific and Testable in sensory experience. Evidence procedure

How will you know when you have it? What will be a demonstration?

3. What will this do for you, or allow you to accomplish?
What difference will this make in your life?
For what Purpose do want this?

4. Establish Reference Experiences

A. What would it be like? B. Have you ever?
C. Do you know anyone who has? D. AS IF

5. Self Initiated and Maintained
A. What can you do in order to make this happen?
B. How can you use the resources that you have available?

6. In what situation do you want / NOT want this?

7. What is the difference between present state, and this outcome?

8. Ecology:
What will / will not happen when you get this?
What will you gain? /What will you lose by having this? there will always be a lose, but may be trivial
What is the cost of having this? What will you have to give up?
What will be the effect of this over time?
How will this impact other people in your life?

9. Preserve Positive By-Products of present state.
What do you like about / what's good about how things are now?
What positive things do you get from present situation?
What function does the problem serve? Every behavior or life condition serves us in some way.

10. How is it possible that you don't already have this?
What has stopped you? ---> turn each obstacle into an outcome

11. Chunk Down & Plan backwards and forwards
What would have happen first? Recursively
How could you make this happen?
What will be your first step? then what? then what?
What actions can you take now to make this happen?