Helpful background info:
I wrote this as encouragement for my team, but I am sharing it on my blog because the life-changing lesson of erasing negative self-talk with a positive affirmation can help each of us.
Let's talk for a moment about what happens when we set a HUGE goal for ourselves. Let me know if this resonates with you-- Back in August when the Spa Incentive Trip goal to the Riviera Maya was announced, did you feel a little giddy with excitement? Did you start to dream about the possibilities of earning an all-expenses paid trip? Did you get a little feeling of butterflies in your stomach and deeply desire that trip not only for you, but for a special person in your life?
Where are you today? If you are still feeling all those excited, happy and energized feelings and your calendar is BOOKED full in September, then KEEP GOING! I'm thrilled for you. If, however, you are looking at your calendar for September and it is empty and you are starting to feel some self-doubt, keep reading:
Self doubt will creep in when you make big plans. It is part of the process. How will you erase those tapes of negativity, self-doubt and rewind and record new positive affirming messages for yourself? This is the whole key to earning that trip that got you excited, gave you butterflies and made you giddy with excitement.
"The more important a project is to your soul's evolution, the more you will resist it." Steven Presfield
Does it help you to know that we resist the very goal that will move us forward and it is normal to doubt ourselves? That is helpful for me, to be sure.
Here is the Anecdote for those Negative thoughts we all experience:
Find an affirmation that SPEAKS to you and write a "Note to Self" and hang that on your mirror and by your desk and put it where you will see it regularly. When your self-doubt creeps in share with yourself, "That is ok....I believe: _______" and replace those negative comments with your positive affirmation.
When I earned the SPA incentive trip on the cruise ship, it was a country western lyric that was my affirmation and here is that simple and powerful lyric: "Feed your Dreams and Starve your Fears". Powerful. Do you know what that did for me? I would say that to myself and make that claim that my fears were going to be starved out of existence and I just kept thinking more positive thoughts such as, "It is ok because I am going to call a few more customers and book those parties. It is the Fall season and people will want to buy their Christmas gifts from me because everyone loves a handcrafted gift that reminds them to take care of themselves. It is alright because I will meet someone new today that needs what I offer." Just putting myself in that positive mindset made the difference between going on that Spa Cruise versus staying home.
You can do this. Your dream is NOT too big. You can reach this goal one phone call at a time. It takes putting in one order at a time. It will be reached one party at a time. Take action because it is one step in front of the other that will get you closer.
Enjoy this AMAZING visual affirmation that I found on a paper planner group this morning. Notice that this wonderful woman, Francesca Gould, has LAMINATED her positive affirmation and it is part of her planner so she will see it every single day. What will your affirmation be for yourself during the next six months? What will you write as your "note to self"? What speaks to you? Will you put that positive message on a vision board smack in the center where it will have the largest presence? Will it be hand-written on your bathroom mirror in organic lipstick smile emoticon or will you write it LARGE on a poster-board in your office area? There is no wrong way or right way to remind yourself of this affirmation, but you want to have it front and center in your life. The self doubt will creep in. It is part of the process. How will you erase and play over those negative thoughts with a strong, powerful and meaningful affirmation that speaks to you?
If you want to go a little deeper, write down what this goal MEANS to you and be very specific. I recommend writing down 10 things that excite you about this goal to earn an all expenses paid trip to the Riviera Maya. Keep writing. Add those reasons to your affirmation phrase so that you will say something positive to yourself and then visually be reminded of the top reasons as to why this trip matters to you.
As an example, here are a couple of the reasons that I wrote down for myself when I was working on the Spa Cruise goal (and reached that goal!).
I wrote:
It is important to me to reach an important goal that I set for myself.
I want to feel that sunshine across my face and the wind in my hair as I stand on the deck of the cruise ship with friends who will earn the trip as well.
I want to be a great role model for my daughter and show her what it means to set big goals for myself and work hard towards reaching them.
Get busy. Find your affirmation. Listen closely today, as you may "hear" it in a lyric of a song. You may see that affirmation as you scroll through Facebook or Pinterest. You may find it when you are reading a book that matters to you deeply. Or-- you may just sit quietly and write a positive "Note to Self", as Francesca Gould did and keep that message permanent and strongly in your core.
p.s. thank you, Francesca, for generously allowing me to use your image in this post. It inspired me today and I know it will inspire others as well to write their own powerful "note to self".
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- Disclaimer: this blog post is not to be interpreted as medical advice and is highlighting my experience so please know that individual results may vary or differ.
