The Miracle Question: Benefits, Science, and a Step-by-Step Guide (Free Script & Worksheet)

TL;DR — The Miracle Question is a solution-focused exercise that asks you to imagine waking up tomorrow and discovering your problem is gone—then describe, in concrete detail, how you’d know and what would be different. Created within Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, it shifts attention to a preferred future and helps turn vision into small, doable steps. (South Dakota State University)

What the Miracle Question is (and isn’t)

The technique didn’t start as a single “magic” question. De Shazer described it as a guided sequence used in early sessions to move the conversation quickly into the future where the presenting problem is already solved—followed by specific follow-ups that make the vision practical. (South Dakota State University)

In practice, the “question” unfolds in parts: imagine the overnight change → describe the first signs you would notice → describe what others would notice → identify recent exceptions (times the problem was already smaller) → scale your progress (0–10) → return later to “what’s better?” and nudge the scale by one point. (South Dakota State University, SAGE Publications)

Where it comes from (and how pros actually use it)

The Miracle Question sits inside Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), developed at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee in the late 1970s–80s. SFBT is future-focused, goal-oriented, and collaborates with clients to co-construct solutions rather than analyze problems. In first sessions, practitioners often combine the miracle prompt with scaling and exception questions so clients can spot progress and replicate what already works. (SAGE Publications)

• Scaling questions (0–10): turn vague hopes into a number you can move by one point with a realistic micro-action. (SAGE Publications)
• Exception questions: surface any time the problem eases (even a little), then mine what was different so you can do more of it. (SAGE Publications)

Does it work? What the research says

While the Miracle Question is one technique, it sits within the broader SFBT approach—which has been studied extensively:

• A 2024 three-level meta-analysis (72 studies, 489 effect sizes) found overall large effects of SFBT on psychosocial outcomes, with nuances by setting and comparison condition (e.g., smaller effects vs. treatment-as-usual; larger in group/couple formats). (ResearchGate)

And here’s why the Miracle Question likely helps, drawing on adjacent literatures that mirror its future-focused mechanics:

• Best Possible Self (BPS) writing—a close cousin to the Miracle Question—increases optimism and well-being across studies (meta-analysis). (PLOS)
• Episodic Future Thinking (EFT)—vividly imagining the future—supports planning and behavior change in multiple domains (systematic reviews/meta-analyses). (SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect)
• Hope Theory (Snyder) explains the motivation lift: clear goals plus agency (“I can”) and pathways (“here’s how”). The Miracle Question strengthens both. (Oxford Academic)
• Implementation intentions (If–Then plans) significantly improve goal attainment in meta-analysis; they’re a natural post-Miracle add-on to ensure follow-through. (ResearchGate)

Bottom line: the Miracle Question is not “positive thinking.” It’s a future-state design tool that—when paired with scaling, exceptions, and If–Then planning—turns clarity into movement. (South Dakota State University, SAGE Publications, ResearchGate)

The 10-Minute Miracle Question (Step-by-Step Script)

Use this as a self-guided exercise or as a facilitator script (coach/manager/therapist-in-training). Set a 10-minute timer. Write or speak answers—whatever flows.

1) Set the scene (30 seconds)

A quiet space. One sentence about the issue you’d like to be different.

2) Ask the classic prompt (2 minutes)

“Suppose tonight, while you’re asleep, a miracle happens. The problem that brought you here is gone—but you don’t know it yet. When you wake up tomorrow, what’s the first small sign that tells you the miracle happened?” (South Dakota State University)

If you’re stuck, flip the perspective: “What would your best friend or teammate notice first?” (South Dakota State University)

3) Make it sensory (1 minute)

Describe the morning after in detail: what you do, see, hear, say, avoid. The more concrete, the more useful later.

4) Surface exceptions (2 minutes)

“When have pieces of this already happened—hours, days, or weeks when things were a bit like the day after the miracle? What was different then?” (South Dakota State University)

5) Scale it (2 minutes)

“On a scale from 0 to 10 where 10 is the day after the miracle and 0 is the day you started, where are you now?”
“What’s one tiny thing that would bump you +1 on that scale?” (South Dakota State University)

6) Lock it in with an If–Then (2 minutes)

Turn the +1 into an automatic cue:

If it’s 8:30 and I hesitate to send the outreach email, then I’ll paste the pre-written template and send 1 message. (ResearchGate)

Tip: Repeat the exercise weekly. Open follow-ups with: “What’s better since last time?” Then re-scale. (South Dakota State University)

Worked examples (career, wellbeing, relationships)

Career: “Day after the miracle, I log off at 6 p.m. with 3 top priorities done. Inbox < 20. I delegate one task without guilt. My teammate says, ‘Nice boundaries.’ The smallest +1: Schedule a 25‑minute sprint with phone in another room.” (Scale: 4 → 5)

Wellbeing: “I notice I wake once at night instead of three times. Coffee tastes better because I’m not exhausted. +1: Set a 10:30 p.m. ‘lights off’ reminder and move the charger out of the bedroom.”

Relationships: “My partner hears me say, ‘Tell me more,’ before I offer fixes. We laugh once before work. +1: Tonight, ask one curiosity question at dinner and reflect back what I heard.”

Variations & use-cases

• Solo journaling: Follow the script above in writing; add a weekly “What’s better?” check-in.
• Coaching/leadership: Run it in 1:1s—finish with a shared scaling number and an If–Then pilot for the week.
• Couples/families: Ask what each person would notice in the other the morning after—SFBT shows strong effects in relationship domains when applied well. (ResearchGate)

When not to rely on it alone: The Miracle Question clarifies goals and boosts momentum; it isn’t a standalone treatment for acute crises or severe psychiatric conditions. Pair with appropriate supports. (SAGE Publications)

Common mistakes (and quick fixes)

• Too vague (“I’d be happier”). → Ask, “What would I do differently between 7–9 a.m.?”
• Dependent on someone else changing. → Reframe to your controllables.
• Skipping exceptions & scaling. → You’ll get inspiration without traction. Add both. (SAGE Publications)
• No plan to act. → Write one If–Then you can do today. (ResearchGate)

Free worksheet (print or copy/paste)

Miracle Question – One‑Page Worksheet (12 Letters)

1. Issue in one line: ________________________________
2. The Miracle (first tiny sign):
   • When I wake tomorrow, I’ll notice…
   • Someone else would notice…
3. Day‑after details (sensory):
   • What I do / say / avoid between 7–9 a.m.:
4. Exceptions (recent times it was a bit better):
   • When? What was different?
5. Scale (0–10): I’m at __ now.
   • +1 move: The smallest step that nudges me up:
6. If–Then plan:
   • If [cue], then [2‑minute action].
7. Next check‑in: Date / “What’s better?”

FAQs

Isn’t this just wishful thinking?
No. The sequence is deliberately behavioral: vision → exceptions → scaling → If–Then micro-steps. That’s how it travels from imagination to action. (South Dakota State University, SAGE Publications, ResearchGate)

How often should I do it?
Weekly, or at each project milestone. Start future check‑ins with “What’s better?” and re‑scale. (South Dakota State University)

Is there real evidence behind this style of work?
Yes. SFBT (the umbrella approach that uses the Miracle Question, scaling, and exceptions) shows overall positive effects across many studies and settings, and adjacent literatures (Best Possible Self, Episodic Future Thinking, Implementation Intentions) explain why future‑focused, concrete planning helps. (ResearchGate, PLOS, SpringerLink)

Try it now—guided, in 10 minutes

Open 12 Letters → L07 “The Miracle Question.”
Your interviewer walks you through the script, then converts your answers into a clear, friendly letter—ending with one tiny step you can take today.

References (selected)

• De Shazer, S. “The Miracle Question” (BFTC handout): multi‑part protocol (vision, others notice, exceptions, scaling, “what’s better?”). (South Dakota State University)
• Vermeulen‑Oskam et al. (2024) SFBT meta‑analysis (72 studies; three‑level model). (ResearchGate)
• Carrillo et al. (2019) Best Possible Self meta‑analysis (PLOS ONE). (PLOS)
• Colton et al. (2023/24) Episodic Future Thinking systematic reviews/meta‑analyses. (Wiley Online Library, SpringerLink)
• Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006) Implementation Intentions meta‑analysis. (ResearchGate)
• Macdonald (SAGE) SFBT first‑session structure (goals, exceptions, scales, miracle). (SAGE Publications)