Daily affirmations that work
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A formula for daily affirmations that work
I have always been very skeptic of affirmations (or visualizations). I don't think that repeating or visualizing your objective is enough to make it materialize.
But several successful people practice them regularly. Or at least practiced them on their way to success. 😉
But I believe that to achieve great results you must be obsessive about them. Daily affirmations can help in this regard. They can be a powerful reminder of a meaningful goal. But not all affirmations are created equal.
Jack Canfield explains how to create effective positive affirmations:
Start with the words “I am.” These are the two most powerful words in the English language.
Use the present tense.
State it in the positive. Affirm what you want, not what you don’t want.
Keep it brief.
Make it specific.
Include an action word ending with –ing.
Include at least one dynamic emotion or feeling word.
Make affirmations for yourself, not others.
This formula leads to very specific and dynamic, almost actionable, affirmations. Step 7 creates anticipation for the positive feeling linked to achieving your goal. Emotion is a powerful motivator.
Here are three examples of good affirmations:
“I am so happy and grateful that I am now celebrating having achieved my ideal weight of 140 pounds.”
“I am enjoying living in my beautiful beachfront villa on the Ka’anapali coast of Maui or somewhere better.”
“I am joyfully driving my new red Porsche Carrera convertible down the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.“
After you find the wording you like, Canfield suggests to repeat it three times per day. Many other authors simply recommend to say it early in the morning or write it down in your journal.
I am experimenting with the latter. For now, it keeps me on a track when my mind wonders away from my main goal.
What’s your experience with daily affirmations? Do you plan implementing this formula?
[Read the full content here: Daily Affirmations for Success - Examples & Tips]
Find your happiness islands and boost your well-being
I love travelling, especially visiting large cities. The people, the architecture, the restaurants: every step is an exciting discovery.
The emotions are so powerful and positive, that the first day back home is always depressing. I always end up wondering: "What can I do to bring more of that excitement in my everyday life?".
You probably experienced something similar. Among the many commitments crowding your calendar, only a tiny fraction excites you. Most of your time is spent doing something slightly interesting, bland or downright unpleasant.
It doesn't have to be this way. Time is a non-renewable resource.
Richard Koch is the author of "The 80/20 principles". It explains how, in business and in life, 80% of the output comes from 20% of the input. Often the imbalance is even more pronounced.
In a recent interview on "The Tim Ferriss Show", he mentioned the concept of "happiness islands", from the book. It's the tool you use to find the 20% of your activities that make the 80% of your happiness.
Follow these steps:
take some time to remember the times when you were unusually happy,
find the common features of those moments: the place, the people, what you were doing, the moment of the day, and so on,
plan more moments in the future that share those features,
avoid the situations not having those features.
The longer you spend on your happiness islands, the happier you'll be.
What are your happiness islands? Will you manage to spend more time on them in the future?
[Read the full content here: Richard Koch on Mastering the 80/20 Principle, Achieving Unreasonable Success, and the Art of Gambling]
Use presence and your personality type to break harmful patterns
There are many personality type tests. They can help you invest in your strengths and work around your weaknesses.
But knowing your type is dangerous if it becomes an external force controlling your thoughts and actions. You should always take responsibility of your decisions: you are always in control.
Knowing your personality type exposes your biases and unintentional responses. They can cloud your judgement, lead you to wrong decisions or trigger counterproductive reactions.
Information is not enough, though. When you are aware of the pitfalls of your personality type, how do you avoid its influence?
It requires presence. You need to notice when you are falling into negative patterns, while it happens.
Meditation helps. Some basic awareness exercises are enough.
You can sit still and follow your breath for some minutes. Feel the air going through the nostrils, then in your throat and finally reaching the lungs and the abdomen.
Try also the body scan. Sit or lie still and focus on a single body part at a time, starting from the head or from the toes. Explore every sensation: the temperature, muscle tension, the pressure and texture of your clothes and shoes... Slowly scan every body part.
You'll learn to be aware of your physical state. You'll be able to recognize the signals of negative reactions, as soon as they start showing up. They will warn you of a negative pattern kicking in and you'll be able to defuse it.
How are you improving presence in your life?
[Read the full content here: Russ Hudson: The Pursuit of Presence]
Best book of the week
Enlightenment Now, By Steven Pinker,
(Affiliate link: we get a commission when you buy from it)
Pros
It uses huge amount of data to prove how in many areas (e.g. health, safety, violence) the world is in its best shape ever. And other areas are improving faster than you think.
It debunks the fear mongering of news outlets. They are only exploiting common fears and biases to get more attention and sales.
It’s not blindly optimistic. It considers every possible interpretation of the data before coming to a conclusion.
Cons
It’s very, very, very long. Set aside 19 hours, 49 minutes and 51 seconds for the audiobook version! 😱
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Until next week,
Alberto
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