Your self-image plays a huge role in creating a successful life. It’s hard to be a confident, creative action-taker, if you don’t see yourself that way first. So much of success is a mental game, and if the pictures you paint of yourself are weak and negative, then that’s what you will project into the world as well.
So how do you go about boosting your self-image so that you see yourself in a more positive light?
When it comes right down to it, the only person who can motivate you is YOU. That’s why your self-talk plays such an important role in helping you boost confidence and achieve the goals you set for yourself.
Positive self-talk can be used as a motivational tool when you need to lift yourself up to accomplish something. It doesn’t matter how large or small your goal is. For example, it could be huge, like needing to motivate yourself to find a job, or it could be something as simple as needing motivation to get out of bed in the morning. Whatever it is, how you talk to yourself about it will play a large part in determining how successful you are.
Think of using motivational self-talk as your own inner cheerleader, pushing you from the inside to be your best, most confident self. The best example of this is when you give yourself a pep talk to boost your energy and your confidence. A good motivational talking-to can work wonders when it comes to helping you believe in yourself and your abilities.
Creating motivational self-talk is a lot like creating affirmations. There are a few rules you should follow to get the best results.
There’s no right or wrong words when it comes to picking the ones you want to motivate yourself with. Of course, you’ll want them to be positive and have some meaning for you. You might want to tell yourself you’re a superhero, or remind yourself of how awesome you are. Those are great places to start.
One line statements, or even one word statements work best because they help you stay focused on what you’re trying to achieve.
A good example of this is the “word of the year” exercise that people do at the start of a new year. That one word can keep you focused and motivated for a whole year.
The other thing keeping it short and simple does is concentrates the energy in a smaller space. You can pack a lot of power into a simple statement like “I got this!” or “I’m amazing!”
For example, I’ve just started exercising regularly again after a long break. I’m trying to build up my stamina so my self-talk statement when I’m exercising is “One minute more.” It motivates me to push myself to go just one minute more each time, instead of stopping just because I’m tired or feeling sore.
There are seven rules in all for creating affirmations. You will find my complete list in >>> this post <<<.
Instead of dwelling on the negative thoughts that take up space in your head, make motivational, positive self-talk a habit. Practice every day telling yourself the good stuff and cheering yourself on with the affirmation statements you create.
Your self-talk influences what you believe about yourself and how you’ll behave in the future. Use it as a tool for motivation and make it work for your success!
What’s your favorite motivating self-talk statement? Share in the comments, if you dare!
This is Part 2 of a 5-part series on creating positive self-talk.
Part 1 – Four Tips for Creating Positive Self-Talk
Part 2 – Creating Positive Self-Talk as a Tool for Motivation (You are here)
Part 3 – How to Use Positive Self-Talk to Teach Yourself New Things
Part 4 – Talk Like You Like Yourself: Reflections on Positive Self-Talk and Self-Confidence
Part 5 – Using Positive Self-Talk to Achieve Your Goals
Something that comes up for me again and again is the concept of an inferiority complex. I’m forever comparing myself to others and coming up short, at least to my own way of thinking. What I’ve found is that I’m not alone in this. There are way too many people out there who don’t give themselves credit for all the cool things they can do.
The reality is that we’re never going to be exactly like someone else. We’re all different, and thank goodness for that! So why do we spend the time putting ourselves down and dismissing the skills and talents and gifts we were given because they’re not the same as someone else?
And …
Have you ever stopped to think about just how much energy it takes to maintain that inferiority complex when you could be putting all that energy into really boosting your confidence instead of beating yourself up? You’ve got to admit, it’s not easy to take a couple of perceived shortcomings and convince yourself that you’re totally useless and a failure as a human being.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have the answer to why we do this to ourselves. What I do have is a few tips you can use to overcome feelings of inferiority and boost your self-confidence.
It’s easy to put yourself down with blanket statements like “I’m fat,” “I’m lazy,” or “I’m too short.” But those statements only describe one part of you, not the whole you.
To start the confidence boosting process make a list of all your characteristics and whether they make you feel inferior or good about yourself.
Another thing you can do is identify who makes you feel inferior and why. It’s important to remember that an inferiority complex stems from wanting to be like someone else. As soon as you try to be someone you’re not, you tell yourself that you’re not good enough just as you are.
How you talk to yourself has a huge effect on both your confidence and your inferiority complex. Negative self-talk will embed those feelings of inadequacy into your mind, while positive self-talk will boost your confidence and have you believing in yourself instead.
And more importantly is it something you have control over? You may feel like you’re less than because you’re too short, but chances are you stopped growing a long time ago. Being taller isn’t something you have control over, so there’s no point in letting it define who you are.
There are plenty of things in your life that you can do something about, so focus on those when it comes to boosting your self-esteem and confidence levels.
Above all, be yourself. When you’re making changes, check in with yourself to see how comfortable they feel. If it still feels like you’re trying to be someone else, have another rethink about what you really want.
Pay attention to the good things in your life, especially the little things you do well each day. Record them in a journal for keeping track of your accomplishments and when you’re having an inferior moment, look back at everything you have already accomplished and feel the boost of energy that gives you.
Feelings of inferiority stem from worrying about what other people think of you. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”
The only person whose opinion matters when it comes to you is your own. Focus on the good things you like about yourself, change the things you don’t if you can, and learn to live with the ones you can’t change.
Play to your strengths, keep your self-talk positive, and understand that no one is watching. When you accept and embrace your uniqueness, you’ll find that letting go of your inferiority complex is easier than you thought, and you’ll enjoy to boost to your self-confidence too!
Recent Comments