Behaving badly doesn’t always mean  what we think it does. Have you ever heard this voice?

“I don’t REALLY have to get up at 5 AM. I could work out tomorrow instead. It wouldn’t hurt to skip one day, would it?”

“ I can just skip lead generation today. I can catch up tomorrow.”

Where is that voice coming from? With the best of plans, intentions and New Year’s resolutions, this voice is not helping! Or is it?

One of the most interesting things from an NLP perspective to observe is how this voice is actually INTENT ON HELPING YOU because every behavior has a positive intention.

How is that possible when it’s clear the “voice” is trying to derail what we said we wanted?

Look at these examples of what we would normally call “ Negative Behavior” and how they may be actually be looking out for you.

Smoking- While our rational mind knows that smoking is not a behavior that supports our health, the behavior may help us relax, which has a positive impact.

Fear of making a decision- The positive intention behind fear is usually “safety”. Ever have a seller who followed their fear and backed out of a transaction? Backing out made them feel “ safer” than completing the transaction.

The next time you hear that “voice” or experience a client who is exhibiting a behavior that seems to not be in their best interest, ask yourself…”is there a hidden positive intention here that I can acknowledge?”

For instance, “ I don’t REALLY have to get up at 5 am to work out” . The hidden intention may be comfort. Once we realize the choices and separate them from who we really are, we can simply ask these questions (for ourselves and for clients) :

“Which choice will move me FORWARD toward my goals and dreams?”

“What’s the impact of my choice to my life?”

It could be that backing out of the deal is the most ecological choice for the client. Understanding that every behavior has a positive intention takes the “wrong” out of the equation.