By: Grace Killelea
Each of us has about 50,000 thoughts each day. Most are judgments. Many are negative. All are stories. Most of them are fiction.
We find ourselves saying:
“I’m never going to get that promotion.”
“Money is not my strong suit.”
“I’m so disorganized!”
If we hear these “lies” enough, they can end up becoming truths.
Self-talk is one of the easiest ways to sabotage your business career as well as your social life and, conversely, one of the easiest ways to boost your confidence. But positive self-talk is a learned skill that takes discipline. Face it. We’ve done the negative chatter for years and so easily fall into the pattern.
Here are eight tips for positive self-talk:
- Recognize your own negative self-talk. The first step toward change is recognition. Stop yourself whenever you think that you can’t do something or aren’t up to the challenge. Then think through the steps that would allow you to confront the challenge and succeed.
- Take the time to rephrase the thought. Make up a new story. You’re going to get that promotion. You’re going to spend 15 minutes at the end of the day organizing your work for tomorrow. You will learn how to be good with money. You’re smart and qualified. You can do it!
- Choose your words carefully. Here’s what you could be saying. Notice that I said, “could,” not “should.” It starts at the very basic level, with how you frame your thoughts and even your word choice. For example, one word you can eliminate from your vocabulary is “should.” Should is judgmental. But “could” expresses a similar thought with a marked difference.Think of the difference in meaning with the following statement:
“I should work late.”
“I could work late.”Could implies choice. Isn’t choice the bottom line? You choose your life. Choose a positive one.
- Use self-talk to build relationships. Compliment yourself each time you expand your network with a new contact that can help propel you to success.
- Use self-talk to build leadership skills. What kind of a leader do you want to be? Choose. Emphasize those attributes in your self-talk.
- Be the change you want to see in yourself. It’s a popular saying because it’s true, but change is easier to say than to do. Self-talk is a good first step toward real substantive change. Say it, believe it and you can pave the way toward action.
- Everyone messes up sometimes. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Don’t dwell on the negative. Refocus your thoughts—and your self-talk—on how you’ll prevent something similar in the future. Acknowledge that you have dealt with the mistake. Then move on. Mistakes are just lessons.
- Start and end your day with a positive affirmation. Choose something in your business life to celebrate. Affirm your contribution with self-talk.
Grace Killelea is founder and CEO of Half The Sky Leadership Institute, a program that develops high potential women and builds critical leadership skills. She is a former Fortune 50 company SVP of Talent, a skilled executive coach and sought after keynote speaker. Killelea is also author of the highly anticipated title, “The Confidence Effect: Every Woman’s Guide to the Attitude That Attracts Success.” Connect with her on the Web at www.thegkcgroup.com and www.halftheskyleadership.com, on Twitter @GraceKillelea and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GraceKillelea.
