Science has shown that we have anywhere from 30,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day, which means we are bombarded with self-talk every minute we’re awake. How do we allow ourselves to remain positive when there’s so much coming at us?It isn’t easy, but in order for us to give our best we need to remain positive.
Here are four tips I use to keep my self-talk positive:
1) Look at your strengths. You need to know what your strengths are. If you don’t know what they are, write them down. Be honest. What have you accomplished successfully in the past? What made you successful? You still posses the talent to be able to do it again. When you know your strengths it also builds confidence, and confidence is a powerful attribute to have.
2) Look at your “secret sauce.” What makes you unique? What makes you stand out? Do you have a skill or talent that not many people have? Look at your intangibles. More often than not, those are the things that will set you apart from the rest of the crowd. When you know what your “secret sauce” is, flaunt it every opportunity you have.
3) Look at the long-term goals. Thomas Edison found 1,000 ways not to make the incandescent light bulb. How many times do we give up when things don’t go our way immediately? Last year, Nicki Minaj gave a contestant great advice after they got rejected during an audition on American Idol. Minaj told the discouraged contestant, “Do you know how many times we’ve been told no? (referring to the judges}. We heard 1,000 no’s before we got a yes. You leave here and hold your head up. If you want it bad enough you keep working until you get to yes.”
4) Focus on pleasing yourself. This isn’t being selfish. It’s beneficial for everyone who comes in contact with you. Look at what makes you happy. If I’m trying to please someone else, or live up to their expectation of who I am, I can’t be the best version of myself I can be. It doesn’t matter if no one else gets you, if you get you, others eventually will. Then they’ll wonder how you do it.
Make sure the conversation with yourself is positive and reinforcing. We can’t completely avoid negative self-talk. It’s bound to creep in, but we can keep it to a minimum if we try. What you say to yourself (and think about yourself) determines how you will succeed. What is your self-talk?
Thank you, Greg! I was just needing a guide like this!
Thank you! I appreciate you reading it.
Another advantage of effective listening for an employee is that he becomes a better team player.
I agree. That’s another benefit for sure!