How did I do all this?
I read a lot of books and experimented with over a dozen different techniques to change my life.
And today I’m sharing with you the 7 most effective tools and how I use them:
Affirmations
An affirmation is a statement about you that you say to yourself.
For example, “I am very patient.” Write out your affirmations and say
them every day with feeling and belief, otherwise it won’t be effective.
When you practice this, your affirmations start to become deeply
embedded in your subconscious mind. Do it for a couple of weeks and
you’ll see how effective it can be.
Visualization
Most people leave the vast power of their imagination largely
untapped. Our imagination is what allows us to create what we want in
our life. Here’s how I use visualization.
Imagine yourself in a particular situation and what you want your
ideal performance or behavior to be like in that situation. It might be
at your job, at a party, or anywhere. Now imagine yourself doing,
saying, and acting exactly how you want to. Imagine it in vivid detail,
noting what you see, hear, and feel.
Visualization works because it tricks your brain into already having
had the experience that you want to have. This creates past experiences
as if you’ve actually had them, making it easier to do these things in
real life.
Journal
Even though journaling isn’t a sexy idea, when used properly it can
be extremely effective. Here are two powerful ways that I journal.
The first way is by stream of consciousness. You can write candidly
about any issue, problem, or situation. Assuming that you keep your
journal hidden and private, no one is going to judge you. Unlike
talking to even the most trusted friend, your journal is a safe space to
say anything. It will greatly increase your awareness.
The second and more effective way to write in your journal, is to ask
yourself specific, guided questions. It’s the questions we ask
ourselves that determine our future. For example, if you want to be
successful but lack confidence or doubt yourself, ask yourself, “What
are 5 reasons that I’m going to be successful?”
Affirmative Prayer
Don’t be turned off by the term “prayer” — it’s spiritual, not religious.
An affirmative prayer is believing that what you want to happen has
already occurred. I like to do my affirmative prayers like this.
“Thank you Universe for having already given me an amazing week at
work, a ton of joy in my relationship, and happiness every day this
week.”
Not only am I believing that what I want has already happened, but I’m expressing gratitude for it (see about gratitude below).
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
The trickiest thing about limiting beliefs is finding them. As
entrepreneur Dane Maxwell has shown, you find a limiting belief by first
asking yourself 3 questions.
What do I want to accomplish?
Why haven’t I accomplished it yet?
What beliefs are stopping me?
Write down your answers. Now you’re ready to “undo” these beliefs.
The way to do this is to answer Byron Katie’s four questions from what
she calls “The Work”:
1. Is this belief true?
2. Can I absolutely know that it is true?
3. How do I feel when I believe this thought?
4. What would my life be like if I couldn’t believe this thought?
2. Can I absolutely know that it is true?
3. How do I feel when I believe this thought?
4. What would my life be like if I couldn’t believe this thought?
Meditation
There are numerous different types of meditation and ways to practice
it. The best way to start is by learning about zazen (Zen meditation),
which is basically counting your breaths as you inhale and exhale. If
you spend only 5 minutes meditating every day, you will greatly increase
your awareness.
Gratitude
As Michael Beckwith says, when we practice gratitude we train our
minds to look for what we have to be happy and thankful for, rather than
what to complain about. This is the most powerful tool for when you’re
in a bad mood or just feeling unhappy.
The best way to practice gratitude is to start a gratitude journal
and simply list all of the things you’re grateful for, every day. I
started with listing just 5 or 10 things that I was grateful for, and it
took me some serious thinking to come up with the list. Now I can list
50 or 100 things that I’m grateful for! It has completely transformed
my life.
Tom Casano is the founder of lifecoachspotter.com. Get answers to common questions like What is a life coach? and How do I find a life coach? Learn about how a life coach can transform your life in just a few months.
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