- “I’ve always struggled with numbers.”
- “I am a terrible cook.”
- “I’ll never own a big car”
- “I’m not clever enough to do that job.”
Ever heard these statements come out of your mouth (or even in your head!)?
Then you’re taking part in a severely damaging habit known as ‘negative self-talk’!
By telling yourself these lies (and yes, they are lies) you’re reinforcing the beliefs that go along with them.
What you think becomes how you feel; what you feel becomes how you act; and how you act creates your reality.
- If you keep telling yourself that you’re a terrible cook, you won’t be.
- If you believe that you’ll never own a big car, you won’t.
- If you convince yourself that you aren’t clever enough to get that job, you won’t.
It’s not “The Secret.”
It’s a scientific fact.
This kind of self-talk results in keeping you down, undervaluing yourself and failing at your business – simply because you act as if it’s already true.
- If you tell yourself that you’ll never be a good cook or then you won’t do the things good cooks do. I bet you don’t have a good set of knives or nice pots and pans..
- I bet you never go and look at big cars as you believe you will never get one!
- And you certainly won’t apply for any promotions or new jobs as you feel you aren’t clever enough or worthy enough
…But What about if we flipped it round!
Imagine if you acted and thought as if you already are all these things
- You’d be looking at recipes and trying new foods
- You may even go and test drive a new car
- OMG you would put your CV into a job agency..
Oh and as a bonus, your confidence will skyrocket too!
How to Combat Negative Self Talk
- The first step toward changing your negative self-talk is to simply acknowledge that you do it.
- It’s time to catch yourself in the act!
- Make a mental note every time you catch yourself making negative statements, whether you’re saying them out loud or in your head.
- Make a note of the ones that come up most often for you, and try to figure out where they came from if you can.
For example, if your ex-partner continually berated you for your spending habits, chances are your “I’m no good with money” mantra can be laid right at their feet. It’s time to turn that thinking around!
The next time you catch yourself saying “I’m no good with money,” take a minute to recall 3-5 instances where you were good with money.
Maybe you paid off your credit cards, saved for a house or built an emergency fund. Perhaps you simply chose not to buy something because you knew you couldn’t afford it at that time.
Rephrase your self-talk to, “I used to be bad with money [if that’s actually true], but now I make smart choices to achieve my goals.”
Just as negative self-talk becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, so does positive self-talk!
Reframe your thinking, and your business & personal finances are guaranteed to improve!
Here’s to an abundantly successful mindset, and life
