Have you ever heard the expression, “Practice makes perfect”? I imagine that just about everyone has heard this sage advice given in so many ways, even in jokes. For instance, this is my favorite: A man walks up to woman in New York City and asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The woman answers without missing a beat, “Practice, practice!”
As a lifelong dancer, I can’t tell you how many times the importance of practice was drilled into me from an early age. When you want to achieve any goal or become masterful at anything, you must practice. Whatever you want to become or accomplish, be it a championship athlete in your sport, a world-class singer or musician, have your own business, or be a great mom, in addition to practicing the skill you want to develop, you must also cultivate a masterful mindset. To achieve a masterful mindset, I propose a daily affirmation practice.
What Is An Affirmation
Perhaps you’ve heard about affirmations but have never really explored what they are. For the uninitiated, the inspiring Jack Canfield, co-author of the best-selling Chicken Soup of The Soul series, describes affirmations beautifully. “Simply put,” he says, “daily affirmations are clear, positive statements that describe your goals as already achieved.” Describing goals as “already achieved” is the key to the most effective affirmations.
You see, affirmations – the positive statements you declare – are messages that you give to your subconscious mind. When you repeat these positive messages over and over again, seeing them in your mind’s eye as already accomplished, the subconscious mind goes to work to bring them into physical form. It isn’t your job to decide how or when your goals will come to pass but they will come to pass. You can count on it.
How To Write Affirmations
Writing affirmations down is part of the practice. I keep an affirmation notebook on my nightstand and review and repeat my affirmations when I first wake up each morning and before I go to sleep each night. And, I add new affirmations as I get new ideas. I highly recommend that you get a special notebook for your daily affirmation practice.
I follow Jack Canfield’s guidelines for creating affirmations and share them in brief with you here.
1.Start with the words, “I am.” These are the two most powerful words in the English language
2. Use the present tense. You want to imagine yourself being in the moment and experiencing the reality of your goal being achieved.
3. State your daily affirmation in the positive. Affirm what you want, not what you don’t want.
4. Keep it brief. Your daily affirmations should be easy to memorize and repeat.
5. Make it specific. Such as, “I am so happy and grateful now that I have lost 25 pounds and am wearing my favorite jeans again!” Visions that lack clarity are much more difficult to achieve.
6. Include an action word ending with “–ing.” This allows you to express your affirmation as if you are experiencing it at that very moment. (See #7)
7. Include at least one dynamic emotion or feeling word such as happy or grateful.
8. Make affirmations for yourself, not others because there is nothing you can do to change other people’s behavior.
The Benefits Of Affirmations When Incorporated Into Your Life Daily
Once you dive in and begin your affirmation practice, I am certain you will start thinking life is miraculous. And it is! Repeating positive mantras out loud and to yourself every day has a profound impact on both, your conscious and unconscious mind. As Jack Canfield says, “When you imagine yourself completing a goal, your brain responds in the same way as if you actually HAD completed that goal.” So make sure you are basing your affirmations on goals that you truly and deeply want to achieve.
Have you ever heard the expression, “Practice makes perfect”? I imagine that just about everyone has heard this sage advice given in so many ways, even in jokes. For instance, this is my favorite: A man walks up to woman in New York City and asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The woman answers without missing a beat, “Practice, practice!”
As a lifelong dancer, I can’t tell you how many times the importance of practice was drilled into me from an early age. When you want to achieve any goal or become masterful at anything, you must practice. Whatever you want to become or accomplish, be it a championship athlete in your sport, a world-class singer or musician, have your own business, or be a great mom, in addition to practicing the skill you want to develop, you must also cultivate a masterful mindset. To achieve a masterful mindset, I propose a daily affirmation practice.
What Is An Affirmation
Perhaps you’ve heard about affirmations but have never really explored what they are. For the uninitiated, the inspiring Jack Canfield, co-author of the best-selling Chicken Soup of The Soul series, describes affirmations beautifully. “Simply put,” he says, “daily affirmations are clear, positive statements that describe your goals as already achieved.” Describing goals as “already achieved” is the key to the most effective affirmations.
You see, affirmations – the positive statements you declare – are messages that you give to your subconscious mind. When you repeat these positive messages over and over again, seeing them in your mind’s eye as already accomplished, the subconscious mind goes to work to bring them into physical form. It isn’t your job to decide how or when your goals will come to pass but they will come to pass. You can count on it.
How To Write Affirmations
Writing affirmations down is part of the practice. I keep an affirmation notebook on my nightstand and review and repeat my affirmations when I first wake up each morning and before I go to sleep each night. And, I add new affirmations as I get new ideas. I highly recommend that you get a special notebook for your daily affirmation practice.
I follow Jack Canfield’s guidelines for creating affirmations and share them in brief with you here.
1.Start with the words, “I am.” These are the two most powerful words in the English language
2. Use the present tense. You want to imagine yourself being in the moment and experiencing the reality of your goal being achieved.
3. State your daily affirmation in the positive. Affirm what you want, not what you don’t want.
4. Keep it brief. Your daily affirmations should be easy to memorize and repeat.
5. Make it specific. Such as, “I am so happy and grateful now that I have lost 25 pounds and am wearing my favorite jeans again!” Visions that lack clarity are much more difficult to achieve.
6. Include an action word ending with “–ing.” This allows you to express your affirmation as if you are experiencing it at that very moment. (See #7)
7. Include at least one dynamic emotion or feeling word such as happy or grateful.
8. Make affirmations for yourself, not others because there is nothing you can do to change other people’s behavior.
The Benefits Of Affirmations When Incorporated Into Your Life Daily
Once you dive in and begin your affirmation practice, I am certain you will start thinking life is miraculous. And it is! Repeating positive mantras out loud and to yourself every day has a profound impact on both, your conscious and unconscious mind. As Jack Canfield says, “When you imagine yourself completing a goal, your brain responds in the same way as if you actually HAD completed that goal.” So make sure you are basing your affirmations on goals that you truly and deeply want to achieve.
