The Miracle Question

Method Monday: The Miracle Question in Coaching - When visions of the future become a source of strength

Recently, in my Method Monday, I wrote about the Birthday Speech from the Future – a method that helps you create a vivid picture of your desired future.

The Miracle Question is a more compact, easy-to-apply approach that follows a similar idea: it invites you to imagine a life in which your current challenge has already been resolved.

With just this one question, a surprisingly clear image of the future often emerges – filled with motivation, confidence, and the energy for change.

What is the Miracle Question?

The Miracle Question comes from solution-focused coaching. It invites clients to imagine a life where their current problem has disappeared – without having to explain how that happened.

The classic formulation is:

“Imagine that tonight, while you’re asleep, a miracle happens. Overnight, your problem is solved. What would be the first thing you’d notice tomorrow morning that tells you this miracle has happened?”

This question is powerful because it shifts the focus away from the problem and toward what is desired.Instead of analyzing why something is difficult, it creates an inner picture of the preferred future.

Structure and Facilitation

The Miracle Question works particularly well in the middle phase of a coaching process, when the issue is clear but the way forward still feels open.

How to guide the process:

1. Create a safe space: Invite your client to go on a short imaginative journey. Make sure there’s calm, trust, and enough time.

2. Ask the Miracle Question: Phrase it slowly and gently, leaving room for reflection.

3. Deepen the reflection:

   • “What else would tell you that the miracle has happened?”

   • “What might others notice?”

   • “What would you be doing differently?”

4. Bring it back to the present: From the envisioned future back to today – “What could be one small first step toward that miracle?”

It’s important that the question doesn’t sound like a test, but rather like an invitation to imagine. It should feel light and almost playful – and yet, deeply moving.

Application in Individual Coaching

In one-on-one coaching, the Miracle Question opens a deep space for reflection. It helps clients who feel stuck to discover new perspectives – especially around topics like:

• Reorientation or finding meaning in their work

• Inner blockages or self-doubt

• Decisions clouded by uncertainty

As a coach, your role is to guide gently. It’s not about finding solutions immediately but about activating the imagination – and allowing motivation and direction to emerge from there.

Why this method is so effective

The Miracle Question works on several levels:

• Emotional: It activates hope, curiosity, and lightness – emotions that make change possible in the first place.

• Cognitive: It shifts attention away from the problem and toward what the client actually wants. The brain starts to recognize possibilities instead of obstacles.

• Neuropsychological: By vividly imagining a future state, the brain activates the same networks it would use during real experiences – creating a sense of “I can do this.”

• Systemic: The question also has an impact in relational contexts – when clients realize how their changed behavior affects others, a new system of possibilities emerges.

The combination of emotion, imagination, and self-efficacy is the key.That’s why the Miracle Question sometimes truly feels like a little miracle.

Who is this method suitable for?

The Miracle Question is particularly helpful for:

• People who feel stuck or caught in repetitive patterns

• Clients who are very rational and cautious with emotions

• Situations where motivation or perspective is missing

• Coaching processes with a solution-focused or resource-oriented approach

It’s less suitable for topics that are deeply emotional or still unprocessed – in such cases, stabilization should come first.

For many clients, however, the Miracle Question marks a turning point: A moment when they first see what’s possible – and feel that change is within reach.

Conclusion

The Miracle Question combines lightness with depth. It doesn’t require a complex setup or technique – only presence, trust, and the willingness to think ahead.

Sometimes a single question is enough to set new thoughts in motion:

“What would tell you that the miracle has happened?”

A question that inspires curiosity, strengthens confidence, and opens the view toward what’s possible.

If you’re curious how coaching can help you see your next steps more clearly, feel free to get in touch for an initial conversation, or follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for regular coaching insights.

Yours, Johanna