What do you think about affirmations? Have you tried them? Do you feel like they work for you? Or do you feel like they are a little hokey?
I’ve used affirmations for a little over a year now and I’ll admit, sometimes I thought they worked wonders for my mindset and other times I thought they were pointless.
As I thought about why that was I started realizing a big difference between what was working and what wasn’t. The ones that worked I could feel and believe. I felt empowered and excited. The ones that were “too far out there” or too general didn’t work - there was no connection. But I figured out a trick to make even those giant far out there dream affirmations to work!
The secret : your mind has to believe them. When I said “I am rich and can afford anything I want,” my inner self would chuckle because I knew I really was not rich by my definition. And it felt too broad and empty.
By switching some words in your affirmation, you will start to notice real mindset shifts. For this reason we switched “I am” to “I choose” in our Intentional Day Planner. It takes away the pressure of already being xyz. I am abundant vs I choose to be abundant. It allows imperfection and room for growth. We are more likely to make choices that lead to a life of abundance rather than just dream and wait for it someday.
We also added “Today.” This allows our brains to relax because we can do anything for just a day. Again, we don’t have to be perfect. Change takes time and this gives your mind full permission to go all in, believe and take action! *hint: it’s the action that makes the real magic happen*
Want to take it one step further? Think of ways you are already living this way and new ways you can show up as well. This gives your brain proof! You can do it! You can succeed because you are already doing it and will continue to do it.
Remember our money example?
“Today I choose abundance. I track my expenses so I know how much I am spending and on what. Today I will bring lunch from home instead of eating out and I’ll think before I make any purchases.”
This isn’t saying you’ll never eat out again, but it is a conscious choice to move you closer to your goal. I challenge you to think of how you can tweak your affirmations to be more powerful for you. To start, try starting your affirmations with “today I choose…” and let us know how it goes for you!
