Using questions to empower you toward goal achievement

Presuppositions are powerful suggestions that can be made in the course of ordinary conversation. Using presuppositions one can create influential questions that can open the mind and motivate one toward goal achievement.

Consider the difference between:

“I am going to buy a new house by the end of this year.”

and

“How will I feel when I’m looking out the window of my new house later this year?”

Both are a kind of affirmation – one a goal statement and the other an evocative question based on an affirmation. The question evokes more emotion and motivation than does the statement. Why is that? Because we are built to answer questions.

Statements tend to evoke questions – like, “how can I do that?” Questions tend to evoke answers. It’s what we do as humans.

Webster defines a presupposition as “an assumption that is taken for granted.” When you assume a condition, it tends to be so – we call it expectation. I assume that to walk across the room, I will simply stand up, place one foot in front of the other, and walk. I take walking for granted. It is not a guarantee – I don’t know that I won’t suddenly fall or find that I cannot get up or walk. I take it for granted that it will happen just as I expect it to and I would be TERRIBLY disappointed if I could not walk. In fact, I might even be terrified if I suddenly could not walk. The assumption and expectation is great.

Building a question that contains a presupposition tends to make the question evocative in the direction of the presupposition. If your presupposition is an assumption of your goal already achieved – something you can then take for granted – you tend to open your mind to answers to your affirmation opposition thoughts.

Instead of “no, you can’t” thinking, you will generate “this is why I can” thoughts. Later, you will generate “I knew I could” thoughts.

Here are a few presupposition laden example questions you can get started with:

• “Why am I so lucky?” (affirmation/presupposition: I am lucky – answers: all the reasons why)
• “What will I do first when I am at my ideal weight?” (affirmation/presup: I am at my ideal weight – answers: all the motivations to become thinner)
• “How happy will I be when I exceed my first million?” (affirmation/presup: I am a millionaire – answers: all the motivating feelings to take you over your goal)
• “Why do my clients love me so much?” (affirmation/presup: I am loved by my clients – answers: all the motivational reasons why you love yourself)
• “Why do I have such a successful and profitable practice?” (affirmation/presup: I am successful – answers: all the reasons why; reasons that motivate and support your goal)
• “Why am I so happy all the time?” (affirmation/presup: I am happy all the time – answers: all the motivational reasons why)
• “What new and exciting things will I discover about myself as I continue to enjoy my slender and healthy body?” (affirmation/presup: I am continuing to slim down – answers: all the motivational emotions necessary to sustain the weight reduction)

To build your own questions, just ask yourself, “What will life be like for me when I have already achieved my goal and I am taking it for granted?” Then make up questions about that state of being. Include your goal as a presupposed part of the question. So, for example, if your goal is to drop 30 pounds by Christmas, you might ask yourself first, what life would be like for you being 30 pounds lighter at Christmas time – which could take you to asking yourself something like, “What will Aunt Debbie say when she sees me 30 pounds lighter at Christmas time?”

The presupposition is that you will achieve your goal. The questions tend to evoke from you the motivation to achieve it. You don’t have to worry about negative opposition from yourself because you are just asking a question – rather than giving an answer.

Ecology

There could be a time, however, when your question evokes a negative response. For example, if you asked yourself the question about Aunt Debbie and got a response from yourself, “She’d be so jealous she’d go into a deep depression;” you’d have what is known in NLP as an ecology problem. That is, by your achieving your goal, someone you care about will be injured or hurt or worse. If you get such a response from your question or any affirmation, it is time to reconsider your intent and your goal – because you will not achieve any goal that you believe will hurt someone you care about.

So, in such an instance, just rephrase your goal questions to evoke what feels good and warm to you – and avoids negative responses. Then, go work out your negative ecology with RET or another effective emotional clearing therapy until you can achieve your goal AND support those you love and care about.