What were you doing before NLP training, and what are you doing now?

A brilliant day today with an incredible group of people. We walked, talked, coached, and connected in the Lake District — one of my favourite places to reset my mind and open up new perspectives. A few people asked me to share the simple framework I use every time I head out for a walk. It turns an ordinary walk into a powerful NLP‑infused reset. Feel free to use it on your next solo walk or group adventure. I’ll be organising another one in a few months, so keep an eye on the calendar and the posts here. Before I Start — Leaving the Baggage Behind What am I choosing to leave in the car park today? Stress? To‑do lists? Family pressures? Old stories? I like to pick up a small stone, imagine the “baggage” being absorbed into it, and then throw it into the lake or leave it behind. A symbolic pattern interrupt. As I Get Moving — Acknowledging a WIN What’s a recent win I haven’t properly acknowledged? Something I brushed past? Something I achieved but didn’t celebrate? If I’m with others, I talk it through. If I’m alone, I let it roll around in my mind. A moment of mindfulness. Intention for the Walk What clarity would I like to gain today? What question is quietly waiting for attention? If nothing comes to mind, I use one of the prompts below. Pick one or two to “chew on” as you walk if you need inspiration: • Advice you give clients — What do you regularly coach others on that you’re avoiding in your own life? • Playing it safe — Where are you currently choosing comfort over growth? • Radical simplification — If you had to simplify your life over the next 3 months, what would you cut? • Unlearning old beliefs — What outdated belief about yourself are you in the process of releasing? Towards the End — The Silent Stretch Around 20 minutes of silent walking. No talking. Just allowing the unconscious mind to wander, reorganise, and offer up insights. 💖 Lunch — Reflections Sharing insights with others or simply contemplating them myself. Is there anything else I’d like to gain accountability on?

Before I answer that, let me explain why every NLP intervention needs a “control”, and what science teaches us about measuring change… In science, nothing is taken at face value. If you want to know whether something works, you don’t just test it — you compare it. You measure it against a control. A control is the baseline, the “normal,” the standard set of conditions you already understand. Without it, an experiment becomes guesswork. You might get a result, but you have no idea whether that result is meaningful. And this principle applies far beyond laboratories and test tubes. It applies directly to NLP, personal change work, and the question people love to ask: “Does NLP actually work?” Let’s break this down. The Science Analogy: Why Controls Matter Imagine I’m testing a new polymer additive in asphalt in my business (MacRebur Limited). I want to know whether a new additive improves strength, flexibility, durability — whatever my goal is. So I create two samples: • Control asphalt — the standard mix that’s always used • Experimental asphalt — the same mix, but with my polymer additive included I test both to a set of criteria and standard. I compare the results. If the polymer works, my experimental asphalt should outperform the control. If I didn’t have the control asphalt, I’d have no idea whether the polymer made any difference at all. Maybe the asphalt was always that strong. Maybe it was always that weak. Without comparison, the experiment is pointless. NLP Works the Same Way… When we use NLP tools — anchoring, reframing, submodalities, timeline work, language patterns — we are essentially running an experiment on human experience. But here’s the key: You cannot measure change unless you know what the experience was before the intervention. This is why NLP questions often presuppose comparison: • “How do you feel differently now, compared to before?” • “What’s different?” • “What’s changed?” • “What’s shifted?” These questions aren’t fluffy. They’re the NLP version of a scientific control.

Eighteen years ago, Kate and I travelled to Kerala, India for a course that changed far more than our professional lives… One afternoon, we visited the SOS Children’s Village to model the excellence of the team running it. While we were having tea, a young girl - 9 years old, sweeping the courtyard - walked over, smiled, and said: “Hello auntie, hello uncle.” In that moment, Sughandy walked straight into our hearts. We decided that day to sponsor her, support her education, and make sure she had everything she needed. Letters turned into phone calls, phone calls turned into video chats, and every year I travelled back to India to visit her. She worked hard, qualified as a nurse, and a few years ago moved to Galway, Ireland to work as a carer. There, she met a young man who she’ll be marrying this Saturday. This week, Kate, India, Keira and I will travel to India to give her away, the only four members of her family among 200 guests from her new husband’s side. I’ll share our journey here, on Instagram and Facebook. This is more than a trip. It’s the continuation of a promise we made 18 years ago.

What if the opposite of my most negative thoughts or assumptions is actually true? What would change in my current mood?