The line between failure and success can come down to something as simple as self-talk. Powerful and positive self-talk can change your entire mindset, which can affect your actions. That, in turn, can have a massive impact on how successful you are on any journey you take or any obstacle you face.
Here are eight tips for improving self-talk to positively impact your mindset and actions:
• Keep a gratitude journal. Write down five things you’re grateful for each day. This will help you recognize and feel the positive vibes already present in your life.
• Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison never leads anywhere good in your head; it only fills your mind with negative thoughts and self-doubt. Reaffirm how awesome you are, and that your awesomeness has nothing to do with anyone else.
• Surround yourself with positive people. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” As humans, we take on the perspectives and outlook of others, so it’s important to be with people who have an upbeat mindset and practice positive self-talk. Being with positive people will bring out the best in you and they’ll also give you great, constructive feedback.
• Set and write down your targets. When you put your targets on paper, it makes them more real and easier to stick to, instead of just ideas floating around in your head. I use a daily intentions planner to keep track of my short- and long-term goals, and I hold myself accountable for making progress toward reaching them every single day. It even has a gratitude aspect to help me keep all of the good stuff going on in my life up front and center!
• Exercise. Exercising raises endorphins, which increases a sense of well-being and creates a better base of self-confidence. Have you ever noticed how, after working out, your mood changes for the better and you feel great the rest of the day? That’s the work of all those awesome endorphins.
• Volunteer and help others. Helping others can help you see how much you matter and how greatly you can positively impact others. Volunteering also has the additional benefit of staving off any of your own feelings of sadness and depression. It’s hard to feel sad when you’re helping others feel good.