Affirmations for sure is one of the most important morning rituals very successful people practice. By following that example I also made my list of affirmations and wanted to put it into practice, but very soon I noticed that something is missing. I went back to research and found that I do something wrong. There was a classic mistake I made that turns my perfect list of affirmations almost useless. How do you make your affirmations? In this article, I’ll share how to use affirmations the right way.
My journey with affirmation started when I discovered one powerful morning routine called S.A.V.E.R.S. that helps in 6 minutes reshape my morning and start a day the right way. I described it more here in this article How 6 Minutes a Day Can Get You Closer to Your Dream Lifestyle. Problem was that when I discovered that concept I learned it from 3rd party source and of course, there were some missing elements I did not know about. So, no wonder that I felt really hard to maintain that ritual. After some start-stop restart stop again rollercoaster I dropped out for some time even from that.
If you are reading personal development books and listening to online mentors that for sure you know that almost all of them keep talking about the power of affirmations. That keeps pushing me back to my affirmation list again and again. I made my own list and some of them you can find also here in my post – 33 affirmations to reshape your mind for success and abundance.
First thing first I went to Amazon for his book so I can learn finally from the right source. If you do not have your copy yet go and grab one here.
It turns out that it is not enough to define a list of affirmations, there is a process with steps that should be included in perfect affirmations. Further, I will share those steps.
How to use affirmations the right way
Most popular guidelines define that perfect affirmation must be formed in the present, be positive and encouraging. And that is absolutely true, but still, there are some more elements that you should not forget. So, let’s go through one by one
- Affirm in the present. Write and speak to your affirmation as if it is already happening – I am__, I do__, I have__.
- Keep them positive. Avoid words that imply the negative (no, not, never, don’t)
- Keep them without (I want, I wish, I would like).
- Use words that elicit positive emotions and statements that excite you.
- Keep it very closely related to your goal, you are why. Decide what you really want and why you want it.
- Keep your statements within the realm of possibility.
- Include what action steps you will do to ensure you get there.
- Commit to repetition.
In very short it may look like this:
I am <affirmation, in present, encouraging> so I will be closer/moving/ to <your goal> for that to happen I commit to doing <1-3 action steps>
You may probably be noticed that in this formula there is more than just an affirmation itself, you will find also your goal and the most important – action steps you should take to get there. As soon as I added this missing puzzle to my affirmations I noticed very soon that it is not anymore just nice words but it will start to show the real effect on how I behave, affirmations feel more believable, more real. But If you can’t believe them it’s unlikely the affirmations are going to affect your life.
Of course, Commit to repetition. By using this new formula it will help not only replace the negative and self-limiting beliefs but also remind every day about your goal and action steps you need to take.
To maximize the effectiveness here a few simple tips I use:
- Do your affirmations right when you wake up. This is when your brain is calm and your subconscious is most receptive to suggestions. (I know some people do affirmation also just before going to bed or after a silent meditation period)
- Repeat each affirmation with deep concentration, focusing on the meaning of the words as you repeat them over and over again.
- Start repeating each affirmation out loud, then gradually lower your volume until a whisper. Keep going until barely audible.
- After you repeated affirmations sit for a minute or two in silence and feel that the thought has made a lasting impression on your brain and your mind.
- You must work through any resistance you have to the affirmations as these feelings may be linked to limiting beliefs you’ve been holding for a long time. This will also increase the effectiveness of each affirmation session.
- Put your affirmation as reminders on your phone, as a screen saver for your laptop, or just as sticky notes in your home. It will randomly remind you of your affirmation and will allow getting back on track if you will be somehow lost during the day.
Now exercise for you: If you have your affirmations already pick the one you most like and try to reformulate using the guideline above and commit to repeating it daily for the next 21 days. If you are not an affirmation person yet I encourage you to create 1 or 2 to try the process. When you have your affirmation ready, post it in the comment below to tell the world.
And finally, my new affirmation now sounds like this:
I have the skills and talent required to make a difference so I can help 1000 people to pivot towards a better life for that I practice writing daily, talk to my mentors at least weekly, and meet at least 2 new people every day.
If you find this post inspiring let’s connect on social media or just shoot me an email, you will find info at the bottom of the page.
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