{"id":87403,"date":"2022-12-26T21:19:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-27T01:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=87403"},"modified":"2022-12-28T16:51:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-28T20:51:50","slug":"positive-affirmations-for-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/positive-affirmations-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Positive Affirmations for Success That Will Change Your Game"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What\u2019s the purpose of affirmations<\/a>? How can repeating affirmations help you rewire your thinking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repeating affirmations is a great tool to envision your ideal reality<\/a> and motivate you to take action to achieve it. With regular practice, repeating positive affirmations for success can make a tremendous difference in your life by reinforcing more positive and effective ways of thinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how repeating affirmations can help you reprogram your mind for success<\/a> along with some examples of affirmations you can use for your practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Are Affirmations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Affirmations are positive, constructive statements that you repeat to yourself as a tool for reprogramming negative thinking to help you change or accomplish something. They\u2019re one of the most effective tools for becoming the person you want to be<\/a> and achieving your goals<\/a>. For instance, Muhammad Ali repeated a simple affirmation\u2014\u201cI am the greatest\u201d\u2014over and over and he became the greatest boxer of his time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides Ali, positive thinking and the use of affirmations have helped people like Will Smith, Jim Carrey, Suze Orman, Oprah, and many others achieve success and wealth. Repeating positive affirmations for success can help you develop the mindset (thoughts, beliefs, focus) that you need to increase your level of achievement in any area of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all talk to ourselves already\u2014we have an unconscious, internal dialogue<\/a> running through our minds, replaying and interpreting past experiences. Unfortunately, for many people, it works against them. For instance, around 80% of women have self-defeating thoughts daily; many men likely have negative thoughts as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, getting control of this process by actively choosing positive, constructive thoughts is a powerful way to change your life<\/a>. When you regularly repeat positive affirmations for success, they begin influencing your subconscious mind<\/a>, transforming your thoughts and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\r\nTITLE: The Miracle Morning
\r\nAUTHOR: Hal Elrod
\r\nTIME: 22
\r\nREADS: 26.1
\r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/miracle-morning-cover.jpg
\r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: the-miracle-morning-summary-hal-elrod
\r\nAMZN_ID: B00AKKS278
\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Affirmations Actually Work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In his review of scientific literature on positive affirmations, addictions counselor Steve Rose noticed that positive affirmations don\u2019t often work<\/a> the way we expect them to. Despite claims that affirmations help us battle our worst thoughts and moods, studies show that isn\u2019t totally accurate. One study<\/a> found that using affirmations we don\u2019t already believe may actually make us feel worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another noticed that <\/a>while listening to positive affirmations may help boost your mood, reading them may lead to unproductive self-reflection<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This doesn\u2019t mean that affirmations are useless, but if you find they make you feel worse, don\u2019t force them. You can\u2019t compel yourself to instantly accept something you don\u2019t believe\u2014yet. So when do affirmations work? Rose says they\u2019re better for affirming beliefs you already hold. One study found stating your values or beliefs out loud can boost your motivation or guide your internal compass<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[su_book__no_more_mr._nice_guy]\n\n\n\n

Examples of Positive Affirmations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Below are some examples of positive affirmations that you can try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affirmation for Shedding Limiting Beliefs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to Gay Hendricks, the author of The Big Leap<\/em><\/a>, reciting positive affirmations for success can help you reprogram your mind from life’s conditioning and limiting beliefs. To that end, he recommends reciting his \u201cUniversal Success Mantra\u201d: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI expand in abundance, success, and love every day, as I inspire those around me to do the same.<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hendricks recommends repeating it in sequence with your breath in meditation<\/a> daily. As you repeat it, notice any resistance your mind has to the affirmation. It\u2019s natural\u2014just notice it and go back to repeating the affirmation. It will take practice to retrain your mind; you\u2019re deprogramming from a lifetime of embedded false beliefs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to setting aside time to focus<\/a> on your affirmation practice, occasionally just repeat it as you go about your day any time you think of it. You may also want to write the affirmations down on pieces of paper and put them where you\u2019ll see them throughout the day, for example in your house, car, or office, in order to prompt yourself to repeat it regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nTITLE: The Big Leap
\nAUTHOR: Gay Hendricks
\nTIME: 22
\nREADS: 44.6
\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/the-big-leap-cover.png
\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: the-big-leap-summary-gay-hendricks
\nAMZN_ID: XYZ
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affirmation for Developing Self-Faith<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An essential prerequisite to achieving success is having unwavering faith<\/a> or belief that you can do it.<\/em> If you have faith in yourself<\/a> and your plans to achieve success\u2014whatever it might look like\u2014it will prompt ideas and associations that lead you to success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Napoleon Hill, the author of the self-help classic Think and Grow Rich<\/em><\/a>, you can develop faith by practicing what he calls autosuggestion<\/em>\u2014that is, by constantly telling yourself you can succeed and by envisioning yourself succeeding. To do so, make it a habit to practice the following affirmation and you\u2019ll eventually come to believe the things you repeat to yourself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. I know I have the ability to achieve my specific goal.<\/em><\/li>
  2. I will concentrate my thoughts for 30 minutes a day on the person I intend to become.<\/em><\/li>
  3. I will spend 10 minutes a day demanding self-confidence from myself.<\/em><\/li>
  4. My goal demands that I develop self-confidence to achieve it.<\/em><\/li>
  5. I will cultivate positive thoughts<\/a> toward myself and others. I have faith that I will change my thoughts and become self-reliant and successful.<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \r\nTITLE: Think and Grow Rich<\/a>
    \r\nAUTHOR: Napoleon Hill
    \r\nTIME: 24
    \r\nREADS: 34
    \r\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/thinkandgrowrich_cover.jpg
    \r\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: think-and-grow-rich-summary-napoleon-hill
    \r\nAMZN_ID: B07P896HSJ
    \r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Write Effective Affirmations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The effectiveness of your affirmations depends on how you frame them. In his book The Success Principles<\/em><\/a>, Jack Canfield provides some tips for writing effective, positive affirmations for success: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Begin with the phrase, \u201cI am\u2026\u201d. <\/strong>As simple as it seems, the phrase \u201cI am\u2026\u201d acts like a command in your brain, telling your brain to feel this as reality or take the steps to make it so.<\/li>
    2. Write in present tense. <\/strong>By writing in the present tense, you describe what you want as if you already have it. For example, if you\u2019re single, instead of saying, \u201cI will enjoy talking to my future partner about our plans to have a family,\u201d say, \u201cI am enjoying talking with my partner about plans to have a family.\u201d<\/li>
    3. Include a verb ending in -ing. <\/strong>Using verbs ending in -ing gives action to the phrase. <\/strong>If you use present-tense verbs that don\u2019t end in -ing, you\u2019re describing something you do, but it\u2019s unclear how often or consistently you do it. For example, saying \u201cI feel confident and comfortable expressing myself in meetings,\u201d is less active than saying, \u201cI am expressing myself confidently and comfortably in meetings.\u201d (If you use the phrase \u201cI am,\u201d you\u2019ll naturally add a verb ending in -ing.)<\/li>
    4. Use positive, rather than negative phrasing.<\/strong> What we say and think often forms images in our mind, so it\u2019s important to use positive phrasing to create positive images. For example, you might say, \u201c I am loving eating salads with lots of vegetables every day for lunch,\u201d rather than, \u201cI am no longer dreading eating salads for lunch.\u201d<\/li>
    5. Write short affirmations. <\/strong>If your affirmations are too long, you risk not remembering them easily. To encourage yourself to write less, pretend you\u2019re writing a jingle for an ad in which each word costs $1,000.<\/li>
    6. Write affirmations for yourself.<\/strong> Make your affirmations reflect your<\/em> actions rather than those of others. For example, saying \u201cI am watching my husband do the dishes,\u201d isn\u2019t as effective as, \u201cI am communicating my needs to my husband.\u201d<\/li>
    7. Use the phrase, \u201cor something\/someone\/somewhere better.\u201d <\/strong>Even though you have a concrete idea<\/a> of what you want or need, using the phrase \u201cor something\/someone\/somewhere better\u201d keeps the affirmation open to even better possibilities than you can imagine right now. For example, saying \u201cI am walking each morning along Waikiki Beach or somewhere better,\u201d leaves you open to opportunities that involve walking each morning, but perhaps somewhere even better than Waikiki Beach.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      \nTITLE: The Success Principles<\/a>
      \nAUTHOR: Jack Canfield
      \nTIME: 90
      \nREADS: 118.1
      \nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/the-success-principles-cover.png
      \nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: the-success-principles-summary-jack-canfield
      \nAMZN_ID: XYZ
      \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Pair Affirmations With Visualizations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      In addition to reciting affirmations, you can rewire your mind for success by visualizing the person you want to be and recalling your successful memories. According to Maxwell Maltz, the author of Psycho-Cybernetics<\/em><\/a>, each time you create or recall successful feelings, your subconscious records them and imprints them into your self-image. These successful feelings will accumulate in your self-image and will lead to new, automatic responses to your experiences\u2014in other words, you\u2019ll gradually find yourself naturally feeling and acting more successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Maltz recommends setting aside 15-30 minutes a day to visualize and think about what sort of person you would be if you freed yourself from everything that is holding you back\u2014such as your negative self-image, the expectations of others, or specific fears. Come up with different situations and imagine how your \u201cpositive and successful self\u201d would react. Make your images as vivid and as detailed as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n