Are you Working For or Against Yourself?

Everyone talks about Affirmations, and a lot of people have some, maybe even listed out on paper somewhere. However, are they working for you or against you?

Unwittingly, the Affirmations you’re using may be keeping your goals and dreams at arm’s length, just out of reach. For example, saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds” uses two of the canceling forces. “I want” keeps the desired outcome from being a reality; it leaves it hanging out in the future. And “lose” infers it’s something that will eventually come back!

So in this instance, a more powerful affirmation would be, “I enjoy the energy I experience from being ten pounds lighter.” They may seem like small things. However, the power they carry – in a direction away from your intended destination – is undeniable.

So what makes an affirmation its most powerful version? Five items:

1. Present tense. Describe what you want as though it already exists and has been accomplished.
   – Unempowered affirmation: “I am working to be off my blood pressure medication.”
   – Empowered: “I am grateful to be medication-free and living a healthy lifestyle.”
2. Positive statement. When you focus on what you don’t want, that’s what you tend to get. Focus instead on the positive.
   – Negative affirmation: “I am trying to be a better leader.”
   – Positive: “I am pleased to be leading by example in my weekly one-on-ones with team members.”
3. Short and specific. Keep it simple! Lengthy affirmations are usually filled with words of doubt and distance from your goals.
4. Personally driven. You can’t wish someone else’s changes into existence. Affirmations must be all about YOU. Avoid getting caught up in what someone else thinks you should be focusing on, or changes you want to see in others.
5. Open-ended and limitless. Add the phrase, “or more” or “or something better” to the end of your affirmations to encourage even bigger opportunities to come. “I am so grateful now that my retirement savings maintains at $1 million or more.”

If you have a solid list of affirmations you’ve been using, revisit your list and see whether any of these five principles can be applied to further strengthen them. Then incorporate them as part of your morning ritual and enjoy the positive shift!

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