“Nothing good or bad happens, but thinking makes it so.” -William Shakespeare
Shakespeare was on point. How we think plays an important role in shaping our lives. However, very few people try to understand and use this power.
Neuroscientists have discovered that thoughts are actually electrical impulses that trigger both electrical and chemical reactions in our brain. Rather than being a fleeting piece of consciousness, our thoughts have a direct effect on the chemical activity in our brain.
That’s why we should pay close attention to our thoughts. If we learn to have better control over them, we can gain more control over our lives. It’s a big deal that doesn’t discriminate. Anyone can take control of this success lever.
Whether your thoughts are good or bad, fact or fiction, your mind does not matter. Good thoughts trigger a positive chemical reaction; Bad thoughts create negative feedback. Unfortunately, we have an inherent negative bias (the fight or flight instinct) and we live in a world that is full of negativity (the news is a great source). If we are not on top of it, we are vulnerable to negative thoughts that make their way from consciousness into our subconscious. And that’s what is known as unintended negative programming.
None of us can completely eliminate negative thoughts from entering our mind, but we can develop the habit of hand-picking the thoughts that dominate our thinking. This is a powerful skill not only to be more successful, but to be happier in general.
It’s about using our thoughts as positive affirmations. An affirmation is simply an affirmative statement that is both personal and present tense. It represents a personal quality or result that you want to be your reality. For example, I remember a banker-consultant who told me that he didn’t like the idea of being a sales person, yet sales were an important part of his role. As his coach taught him the power of affirmation, one of his mantras became, “I enjoy selling my services,” (which was a fantasy he wanted to become a reality).
This former banker, who at first did not like the idea of selling his services, had completely reprogrammed his mind using confirmation. Last I heard from his coach, he brought in $70 million in new assets last year. This is a serious sale!
So here’s the exercise—think about the areas (qualities and outcomes) where you want to improve—we refer to this as a change area. Imagine that it has changed, confirm that it has changed, and then write your confirmation on an index card.
Example:
change region: I would like to be more disciplined.
Picture: See yourself going through your day successfully performing all of your high-impact activities, even when you’re doing something else, even when you put it out there.
Statement: I am disciplined and always carry out my high impact activities.
change region: I want to be more confident selling my services to affluent circles.
Picture: In a conversation with a potential client, see yourself as comfortable and confident at a social function, sensing a window of opportunity and closing in for an appointment.
Statement: Trust me when prospecting in affluent circles.
you get the idea. The secret is in being honest with yourself about the areas you want to improve; Be it confidence, sales skills, goal focus, discipline or expanding your comfort zone.
One of the best ways to develop this into a habit is to make affirmation recordings, as repetition is the engine for programming. We have tremendous coaching consultants to record seven affirmations, each repeated seven times, with a 7-second pause between each repetition. When you listen to it daily, it sticks, and you start to believe it. Every 90 days, you should change some, if not all, of your confirmations.
The said banker recorded his 7-7-7 on his cell phone, on which his children stumbled and teased him. However, he got the last laugh as he gave him this confirmed knowledge and he used it for both the game and the test.
Our mind is our most powerful tool and true success awaits those who control the levers of their success.
Matt Ochsley is the author of Building a successful 21st century financial practice: Attracting, serving and retaining affluent clients, www.oechsli.com
