I have been on several sites where I have wanted to find out a simple definition of NLP.  I might as well have written to NASA asking for a breakdown of the constituents of rocket fuel!

This is my version:  NLP stands for, Neuro-linguistic Programming,

Is the means by which personal change can be achieved by modeling the attitudes and beliefs of those who have achieved success and fulfillment in their lives.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming was created by Dr Richard Bandler and Dr John Grinder in the early 1970s.

Neuro – is how we think, our mental map of the world.  Made up of sounds and images, tastes and smells.

Linguistic – is how we use language to communicate, divided into 3 categories – visual/seeing, auditory/hearing and kinaesthetics, how we feel, by paying close attention to how language is used, we can gain useful insights into how people think.

Programming – we are ‘programmed’ by our experiences in life and our actions are based on this programming.

NLP can change that programming and how we live our lives by changing our behavior patterns.  People experience the world around them through thought, language, feeling and behavior.

What if you studied a successful person by applying NLP techniques?  You could take what you learned and apply it to your life and make positive changes.

NLP has had somewhat of a bad press by the scientific community and mainstream psychology.  They say there is no empirical evidence of what NLP teaches.  That could be true, but NLP is enjoying success when applied to management training and development, life coaching and self help industries.

Although NLP is not recommended for treating mental illness, it is constantly evolving from a self help tool to build confidence, help in personal relationships and change negative fears and beliefs, to using personal profiling to help companies hire the right candidates as well as providing a platform to create a happier workforce.  NLP techniques are even being used to improve sports performance.

The future for NLP – NLP continues to grow at a phenomenal pace.  Check out Amazon.com, there are almost 600 NLP products.  Check the newspapers and magazines, there are courses being run by NLP practitioners in all major cities in the UK.  You could try an NLP ‘taster’ course for free.  Google it and see what comes up.  The great thing is you can have fun learning some useful NLP techniques with like-minded people, and will not be obliged to sign up for a paid course if you don’t want to!