Have you ever made an aggressive to-do list before bed but woke up the next morning feeling completely unmotivated to tackle it?
Or set a lofty goal for yourself only to talk yourself out of taking any concrete steps toward progress?
If so, then you may be a victim of negative self talk.
What you tell yourself and believe about yourself and your abilities significantly impacts your life and well-being.
Positive affirmations for motivation may be just what you need to help you succeed.
Table of Contents
What Are Motivational Affirmations?
An affirmation is something you tell yourself and belive to be true. To affirm something is to state your support for it.
Repeatedly doing so validates the thought and affirms it in your mind. This effect applies whether the statement is positive negative, or somewhere in between.
Put simply – it matters what you say to yourself. Regularly telling yourself you are worthy, capable, and motivated leads you to adopt these feelings. Conversely, constantly reminding yourself of your mistakes and shortcomings results in low self-esteem.
Your brain is powerful and capable of changing and adapting to new circumstances throughout your life.
You can train your brain to believe almost anything. You can choose to think about things that make you feel good or things that make you feel bad. You decide.
Benefits of Affirmations
Motivation words of affirmation are beneficial when applied correctly.
While they won’t magically create results on their own, significant positive changes in your motivation can occur when you pair affirmations with action. Believe in your ability to succeed, and then make it happen.
Even if you don’t currently feel motivated or capable of getting things done and achieving goals, you can use motivational affirmations to rewire your brain’s thought patterns.
You can train yourself to be more optimistic and aware of opportunities and possibilities instead of seeing all the reasons something can’t or won’t happen.
Over time, affirmations can provide benefits like:
- Better focus on your goals.
- Improved confidence
- Increased feelings of self-worth
- More resilience
- Increased positivity
- Improved relationship with yourself
How to Use These Daily Motivational Affirmations
It’s not as simple as just repeatedly telling yourself something and waiting for your brain to believe it. To make the most of motivational affirmations, try the following:
- Choose statements that are meaningful to you. Use some from our list below, or use them as inspiration to create your own.
- Use affirmations you believe to be true on some level. Rather than using statements that feel false or unattainable, use those that reflect truth but also the potential for improvement. Adjust as needed to match your gradually improving mindset.
- Use affirmations daily but don’t worry when you use them. Some people prefer to use them first thing in the morning, while others prefer right before bed. Some find once a day is often enough, while others use motivational affirmations multiple times a day when you need a pick-me-up or find yourself stuck in a negative thought pattern.
Methods for Using Affirmations
Again, the method is less important than actually doing it. Choose whatever process works best for you.
- Journal them. Use a paper journal, the notes app on your phone, or an affirmations app.
- Recite them. Preferably aloud. In front of a mirror.
- Visualize them. Picture yourself in the situation as if it were true.
- Post them. Use sticky notes or print them out and place them around your home, car, office, etc.
