Have you ever wished you had the power to change your mind or simply your outlook on life? Well, you do. Over spring break, I was having a chat with a friend where I was talking about my life and schoolwork. My two major accounting tests were the week we came back from spring break, so my whole break was spent studying. The thought of not doing well on the tests I had been preparing for was looming over my head. I wanted to put my best foot forward and have all the preparation pay off. In our conversation, she had asked if I had ever tried daily “I Am” statements, and I had told her some days but not consistently. She told me about her positive experience doing this, how she uses it in her daily life, and that I should give it a real shot. I went home and didn’t think much of it but picked out a new lock screen background with “I Am” statements on it as she had told me to do. I decided that the only way to change my mind and to become more confident was to repeat “I Am” statements out loud to myself as well as being prepared as possible. While we tend to listen to what other people say about us, we are truly our own biggest critic. We have the power to change our minds about how we feel about ourselves and discover how amazing we actually are. Here are a few tips about how to start changing the way you think about yourself and build the life you want to live!
Pick out or make a background for your phone or your laptop that has “I Am” statements on it.
By seeing these statements from the moment you wake up until when you go to bed, you’re creating a more positive mindset. If you’re creative, spend an hour on Canva and make a super cute, personalized background that you love! Just even glancing at the statements puts your mind in a more positive space.
Figure out what specific “I Am” statements you want to repeat out loud to yourself.
If you are struggling with this, think about negative things in the past you’ve told yourself but aren’t true and would like to change. A few of my statements include I am smart, I am capable, I am successful, I am confident, and I am hard working. I also say I am going to pass Accounting 310 and 361, because let’s face it, classes can be challenging at times. This mindset of me knowing I am going to pass my classes makes me more confident, especially after all the work I put in.
Say your “I am” statements consistently.
I thought I could say statements only when I needed them, but that isn’t going to work. You need to say them every single day, sometimes twice a day to change your mindset. Repetition is key. You don’t get better at something by doing it once. It takes time and effort.
Just by saying these statements, your mindset isn’t going to change.
You need to put the effort in. By saying I am smart, but also studying for your tests in advance shows that you’re smart and hardworking. With time and energy, things will slowly slip into place.
Know that it takes time to change your mind and outlook.
This isn’t going to happen overnight, but even in the short amount of time I’ve been saying these affirmations along with the effort I put in, I’ve already become much more confident in myself and feel like I have a better mindset and outlook on my future!