How Presuppositions Build Powerful Success Habits

Here’s a simple and powerful way to build success habits.

Presuppose that you want to acquire a certain habit (like returning calls within 24 hours).

Presuppose that you are going to acquire this habit, grasp its benefits, and keep this habit for life.

Then let your creative mind act on the presupposition.

You will be amazed at all the wonderful things that happen.

Here’s a real life example of how presuppositions work.

I have a friend named John who never flossed. Without explanation, he brushed regularly, yet neglected flossing.

Despite his dentist’s dire warnings, and stern lectures, John ignored this simple, yet important part of dental health.

She even gave him free floss! Nevertheless, John still didn’t floss.

One day John mentioned this curious behavior. He sheepishly admitted this was foolish, yet didn’t floss!

So I said, “Tell me about John, this guy that’s wise enough to brush regularly and hasn’t learned to floss yet.”

He looked puzzled.

I asked, “What goes through John’s mind as he stands in front of the bathroom mirror and reaches for the brush and toothpaste?”

He stared into space for a long moment and said, “Why bother? They’re going to fall out anyway.”

I guessed that when John was a child, a parent or primary caregiver had reinforced this many times. However, I decided to leave the past in the past.

I asked, “So what happens when the John of today looks around and realizes that lots of people were born with wonderful and beautiful teeth like John has, keep them for life, and, most likely, most of them floss?

Again, he was silent for a time.

Then he said, “It’s time to start flossing.”

I said, “And won’t you be glad and amazed that you still have your pearly whites when you get to the Pearly Gates?”

He nodded and, to the best of my knowledge, flosses every night.

Essentially, all I did was presuppose three things:

John will acquire the habit of flossing (he just hadn’t learned how yet).

The adult in John is capable of realizing the benefit of flossing and making this change.

Therefore, John will maintain this new-found habit for life.

Here’s some questions I constructed that apply the amazing power of presuppositions and acquire success habits.

Say you want to acquire the success habit of returning phone calls promptly.

Here’s a sample of the inner dialogue that empowers you to return phone calls quickly and efficiently.

“____________ (insert your first name) just hasn’t learned how to return phone calls promptly yet.

“What happens when __________ reaches for the phone? What goes through his/her mind?

“So what happens when the part of _________ that’s already successful looks around and sees that successful people return phone calls promptly and it’s no big deal?

“And won’t __________ be pleased and amazed at the massive success this simple habit generates over a lifetime?”

Then let your creative mind prompt you to follow through.

Before long, you will return calls promptly without a thought especially when one of those calls is to your dentist.