Positive affirmations have the potential to reshape our mindset, encourage positive changes in our lives, and boost our motivation. But how do you write affirmations that really work? We’re here to help!
This guide will delve deep into the art of writing affirmations, offering insights and practical information to help you create statements that truly resonate with you and your personal journey. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How To Start Writing Affirmations
Identify What You Want To Change in Your Life
Positive affirmations are usually tailored to a specific area, thought pattern, or behavior that people struggle with. So, before you begin writing your affirmations, take a moment to reflect on your life. What are the areas or things in your life you’d like to improve or change?
Are you seeking more confidence, better health, or stronger relationships? Or are you dreaming of a promotion or yearning for financial stability? You can focus on only one area to start with but ideally, you should write down several areas, patterns, or behaviors you’d like to work on.
Of course, these should align with your values and priorities for the affirmations to truly work. They also need to be deeply personal so you’ll actually feel motivated to work towards them.
Ensure Your Affirmation Statement Is Achievable
A key to writing affirmations that really work is ensuring they’re realistic and attainable. While it’s great to aim high, setting your sights too far can lead to disappointment and disillusionment.
You must understand that there’s nothing magic about positive affirmations; they’re not spells you say that will instantly transform your life. They are just a tool that can help you cultivate a more positive mindset and inspire action towards your goals.
For example, an affirmation like “I am going to double my salary when I ask for a raise” might sound empowering, but it’s probably unattainable. A more achievable affirmation might be, “I am gaining the confidence I need to effectively renegotiate my pay.” This affirmation is both realistic and encouraging, increasing your confidence that you will get what you have earned.
Make Your Affirmation Believable
Another key factor in creating powerful affirmations is whether they are believable. If your affirmations are too far-fetched or disconnected from your current reality, your mind may reject them, causing more harm than good.
This is called cognitive dissonance, which is the mental discomfort you’ll experience when you’re holding two conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or values or when your beliefs don’t line up with your actions or your current reality.
For example, if you’re struggling with low self-esteem, an affirmation like “I am the most loved person in the world” may seem completely unbelievable. A more believable affirmation could be “I am worthy of love and respect.” This affirmation is not only believable but also promotes a positive self-image and self-acceptance.
Ensure Your Affirmation Reflects Your Priorities
Now that you’ve identified the areas you want to change, it’s time to prioritize.
Start by ranking the areas, behaviors, and patterns you listed earlier based on their importance. This will help you determine what matters most to you at this point in your life and which affirmations to focus on first.
If your current top priority is advancing your career, your affirmation might be, “I am capable, competent, and climbing the ladder of success.” If you want to prioritize relationships, your affirmation could be, “I am attracting positive, loving relationships into my life.”
Whatever you choose to focus on, these affirmations should be meaningful to you and reflect your current priorities.
Consider Where You Are in Your Life
Your mental and emotional state plays a significant role in how effective your affirmations are.
If everything is going great in your life, it’s much easier to focus on positive thoughts and statements and agree with them. On the other hand, if you’re going through a tough time, it might be difficult to see beyond the spiral of negativity.
This is why it’s essential to tailor your affirmations to your current state of mind. For example, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed and struggling with procrastination, a statement like, “I am working toward my goals with high energy and motivation!” will not resonate with you at all.
In this case, a more effective affirmation would be something softer and more empathetic, like, “I am slowly working toward my goals one tiny step at a time.”
By aligning your affirmations with your emotional state, you’re more likely to believe and internalize them. Remember, the power of affirmations lies in their ability to transform your mindset, and this is only possible if they resonate with you on a deep, emotional level.
Stay True to Yourself
Authenticity is a crucial aspect of effective affirmations. Your affirmations should reflect your true self, your real-life experiences, and your genuine desires.
Although writing affirmations involves envisioning the perfect future and the perfect you, it shouldn’t be about creating a fictional character or an idealized version of yourself. It’s about acknowledging your present reality and picturing your desired future in a way that feels genuine and achievable to you.
Why is this important? Because your subconscious mind can tell the difference between hollow words and sincere intentions. If your affirmations feel false or forced, they’re less likely to have the desired impact. On the other hand, when your affirmations are rooted in authenticity, they resonate more deeply with your inner self, reinforcing your belief in your ability to achieve your goals.
So, when crafting your affirmations, use language that feels natural to you. If you wouldn’t normally use a certain word or phrase in your daily life, don’t use it in your affirmations. The more you can relate to your affirmations, the more power they will hold.
Start With “I Am”
One of the most powerful ways to start writing your affirmations is with the phrase “I am.” This simple yet profound statement affirms your self-conception and shapes your reality. It’s a declaration of who you are and who you aspire to be.
The words that follow “I am” carry significant weight. They have the power to shape your self-image, influence your behavior, and, ultimately, transform your life, so choose them wisely. Remember, you’re not just saying these words; you’re embodying them, and they should reflect your true self and your highest aspirations.
For example, if you’re striving for more confidence, your affirmation might be “I am confident and capable.” If you’re seeking financial stability, you might affirm, “I am financially secure and abundant.” “I am” statements will help you shift your mindset and align your actions with your goals.
Write in the Present Tense
Another key element to writing powerful affirmations is to write them in the present tense (even if it’s about something you want to happen in the future). This is a crucial step because it makes your affirmations feel more immediate, tangible, and real.
For example, instead of writing, “I will be more confident,” transform it into “I am confident.” This shift in tense not only makes your affirmation more potent but also tricks your subconscious into believing it’s already true.
Even better, try to write your affirmations in the present continuous tense, such as “I am becoming more confident every day.” This subtle change in tense implies an ongoing process, keeping your affirmation active and dynamic, mirroring the constant evolution of your personal growth.
Make Them Concise
Keep your affirmations concise – the shorter and clearer your affirmation, the easier it will be for you to recall it throughout the day and incorporate it into your daily routine.
Aim to keep your affirmations short, clear, and to the point. Avoid using complex language or jargon, and instead, use simple, everyday words that resonate with you. As I already mentioned above, your affirmations should reflect your voice and style but also your aspirations. The more authentic your affirmations, the more powerful they will be.
Write Them With Feeling and Passion
As it should be clear by now, writing affirmations isn’t just about stringing together a bunch of positive words. Besides making them attainable, believable, and authentic and aligning them with your mental state, it’s also about infusing those words with feeling and passion. The more emotion you pour into your affirmations, the more powerfully they’ll resonate with you.
Think about it: emotions are the driving force behind our actions. They’re what propel us forward, what make us strive for better. By infusing your affirmations with emotion, you’re not just telling your brain what you want – you’re showing it how much you want it.
So, as you write each affirmation, allow yourself to feel the emotions associated with achieving that goal. If it’s a health-related affirmation, imagine the joy and vitality you’ll feel when you reach your fitness goals. If it’s about financial stability, envision the security and peace of mind that comes with it. Feel the emotions, and let them guide your words.
Use Positive Language
Another important aspect of writing effective affirmations is the use of positive language. When crafting your affirmations, focus on what you want to achieve, not what you want to avoid. For example, instead of saying, “I am not a procrastinator,” say, “I am proactive and get things done efficiently.”
Focusing on the positive helps to rewire your brain to think in terms of abundance and possibilities rather than scarcity and limitations. This shift in mindset can make a significant difference in how you approach challenges and opportunities in your life. So, as you write your affirmations, keep your language positive, hopeful, and forward-thinking.
Reword Your Affirmations As Needed
Sometimes, you may find that the affirmations you have crafted seem too ambitious or hard to believe. This is common, especially when you’ve just started writing your own affirmation statements. But don’t worry, there’s a simple solution to this: rewording your affirmation.
Let’s say you’ve written an affirmation like “I am a successful entrepreneur,” but you’re currently struggling with your startup. This affirmation might feel too far-fetched, causing you to doubt its validity. To make your affirmation more believable, just rewrite it.
Instead of stating it as a fact, you could say, “I expect to be a successful entrepreneur.” This shift in language can make the affirmation feel more achievable while still aligning with your ultimate goal.
Similarly, let’s say you’d like to be more fit and healthy but are currently struggling with making healthy choices most days. Instead of saying, “I am healthy and fit,” a more believable affirmation for you could be, “I am choosing to exercise and eat well today.” This statement demonstrates intention and may be the push you need toward taking action.
