You’ve probably heard that affirmations can help you be more motivated and successful in meeting your goals. But did you know that there are some ways you can supercharge your affirmations to make them even more powerful, even transformative?
Say you want to lose weight and get fit. If your affirmation is “I will lose weight and go to the gym every day,” how does that make you feel? If you’re like most people, it probably feels like a chore. It’s not inspiring or motivating.
It focuses on the negative aspects of your goal (the need to lose weight and the obligation to go to the gym) and pushes the goal out into an indefinite future.
Here are 5 tips to make your affirmations work better for you:
Make your affirmations active and present tense.
Instead of saying “I will lose weight,” try “I am losing weight.” This simple change makes your affirmation more believable and therefore more effective
Make your affirmations specific.
Again, using the weight loss example, instead of saying “I am losing weight,” try “I am losing 10 pounds in the next month.” This gives you a tangible goal to focus on and measure your progress
Make your affirmations positive.
Instead of saying “I will not eat junk food,” try “I am eating healthy foods that nourish my body.” Focusing on what you want (healthy eating) rather than what you don’t want (junk food) will help you make better choices
Write them down
Writing is more beneficial as you are really engaging the brain in the process. Writing by hand is a slower process, but you end up digesting what you have written. This will also enable you to create a stronger mental picture of your desired outcome.
Keep it Short
Make your affirmations brief and memorable. Concise, focused statements are easier to remember.
The more often you say your affirmations, the more likely you are to believe it and take action on it. Stand in front of a mirror and repeat them!
Affirmations alone won't get you to your goal, but even if it gives you an extra 1% chance, then I think it's worth doing.
The British Cycling team led by Sir Dave Brailsford won Olympic Gold by believing in a concept called "aggregation of marginal gains". He and the team broke down everything they could think of that went into competing on a bike. They then improved each element by 1%, which achieved them significant improvement.
If you get a chance, read 'Atomic Habits"by James Clear. This is a great book to help with mindset!
Try these tips the next time you create an affirmation and see how much more effective they can be!
Credit: Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
