3 Ways to Guard and Build Your Self-Talk

Whether you realize it or not, you have an inner dialogue… a running conversation with yourself all the time. I call it your big voice or small voice. 

Have you ever taken the time to listen? Do you criticize yourself? Do you encourage yourself?

Remember, people are never able to outperform their self-image, or their self-talk. 

I’ve learned, in my Executive Leadership and Performance Coaching, to help clients in their intended self-talk. If your inner dialogue is negative, it will drain your energy and sabotage your performance. If its positive, it will help build a positive self-image and in turn, create positive daily actions.

I read recently that by the time you’re seventeen years old, you’ve heard, “No you can’t!” an average of 150,000 times. On the contrary, you’ve heard “Yes, you can!” about 5,000 times. WOW! That’s 30 no’s for every yes.

Let me say it again, you can never outperform your self-image and your self-talk. 

I’ve learned to be my own encourager and even build personal leadership affirmations to feed my mind and positive inner dialogue.

  • I am the most positive person I know
  • I am resilient and optimistic
  • I attract great people and success
  • I am self-disciplined
  • I am a solution-finder
  • I lead others to greatness every day
  • I model the way for my family
  • I am healthier today than yesterday
  • I live by faith and refuse to embrace fear
  • I push through quitting points

Here are my 3 ways to guard and build your self-talk:
1. Start by documenting your leadership affirmations.
Create your own “I am list.” Remember, your subconscious mind drives your conscious decisions. You’ll be amazed by your own self-determination and positive energy. 

2. Take choice out of it
I heard Oprah Winfrey once say, “When it comes to exercise, you have to take choice out of it.” In other words, it’s pre-determined on your schedule and a highly held value.

When it comes to self-talk, take choice out of it. Pre-determine you ARE positive. No more negative self-talk! And guess what? Your vocabulary will change almost instantly and you will see more positive results.

3. Practice the one-word strategy
Often when I coach a team or a leader, I ask them to pick just one word that best describes them. A person’s attention and intention are focused immediately on that single word, that single gift.

What word would you pick? 
I hope it’s positive! If it is, it will help you attract great people, great results, and great success.

Here’s to your positive self-talk!
Steve