LifeSMART: Self-Talk

Are you getting in the way of your own success? As soon as you set goals for yourself, do you suddenly feel overwhelmed and not up to the task or feel you simply aren't qualified to carry it through?

If this sounds like you, then you need to change the way you respond to your inner dialogue. Instead of listening to these limiting, anxious thoughts, use positive self-talk to counter the negativity and get yourself moving toward your goal.

Setting Goals and Sticking to Them with Positive Self-Talk

It can be difficult to make the most of your life when you are always talking yourself out of being a success. It's frustrating and discouraging to have these thoughts constantly plaguing you. In fact, many of us don't even realize we have them! All we know is that we don't have the confidence to stick to our plans and reach our goals.

But there's another way!

Positive self-talk is an effective way to set goals and ensure that you stick to them, even if you have never been able to do this before. First, you decide what goal is important to you, and then you plan the logistics of how you are going to attain this goal. When self-doubt starts kicking in, respond with affirmations that prove your success without surrendering to the negative pressure. Since you're reading this article, it's clear that you're no quitter and you're certainly not a failure, so start believing in yourself!

Re-Programming Your Mind

Affirmations are essentially positive statements that re-program your mind for the positive. The moment you have a self-defeating thought you'd be able to counter the negative with a motivating statement. An example of a positive affirmation is: "I am worthy of great success," or "I see myself in the winner's circle." What this does is replace negativity with thoughts that will help you move toward your goals instead of further away from them.

Positive self-talk is easier to implement than you might think. You may not be aware of the severity of the negative dialogue currently within your mind. However, once you begin with positive self-talk, you will suddenly realize that you are self-sabotaging the goals you set for yourself from the minute you make them. This process can open your eyes to exactly how much this inner conversation has been interfering with your life. You'll feel hopeful that you can now set goals and surpass them.

Through positive self-talk you will be able easily set long and short-term goals for yourself. And when you use affirmations, you'll have accessible tools to help you push yourself further than ever before. Learning to quiet negativity with positive thoughts is a great move toward setting and attaining future goals with ease.

Everywhere you look, you'll find information on why you should adopt healthy habits--better health, better sex, longer life, etc. There's even more information on how to incorporate healthy habits into your not-so-healthy lifestyle, and yet, so few of us do it.

In fact, we could probably come up with Top 10 Reasons NOT to Exercise easier than we could think of Top 10 Reasons TO Exercise. Well, it's time to turn those self-defeating thought processes around!

In those moments when you feel weak and you don't want to eat right, get enough sleep, or exercise, affirmations targeting your health can be just what you need to help you make the healthy choice.

Affirmations are positive statements that replace the negative thought processes in your mind. If you think they don't work, I have news for you - do they ever!

When you start to talk yourself out of exercising, a negative affirmation is being repeated in your mind--an affirmation that says "I can't do it." So if a negative affirmation works, why can't a positive one?

* Instead of saying you don't have time to exercise, tell yourself you get to take a break from the kids, housework, work, etc. for thirty minutes while you exercise.
* Instead of saying you hate exercising, tell yourself you love how you feel after you've exercised.
* Instead of saying you're too tired to exercise, tell yourself how energized you'll feel after working out for thirty minutes.

When you're about to choose the junk foods instead of the good stuff, repeating an affirmation in your mind will remind you of your desire to be healthier and help you become more consciously and subconsciously aware of your healthy living goals.

For example, you can say, "I allow my body to receive enough rest and exercise," or "The more I take care of myself, the better I feel." Using statements like these will give you that gentle push you need when you feel inclined to be pessimistic.

Strive to repeat healthy living affirmations to yourself several times each day and whenever you need encouragement. It will take a bit of time, but, soon enough, you'll find yourself making healthy decisions more and more often.

The more often you choose the healthy lifestyle you desire, the better you'll feel, both physically and mentally. Make the commitment to your health by incorporating healthy living affirmations into your daily routine today!