11 Affirmations Successful
People Repeat Every Single Day
The thought is parent to
the deed--and that's especially true where success and happiness are concerned.
Accomplishments
are based on actions, not on thoughts--yet the thought is always father to the
deed. Achievement starts with an idea, a perspective, a point of view, or even
just an attitude. (Ideas, perspectives, and points of view like these, for
starters.)
Here
are some of the things extraordinarily successful people say every day--and how
those statements spur them to take actions that lead to even greater success:
1. "I
can't do everything today, but I can take one small step."
You have plans. You have goals. You have
ideas. Who cares? You have nothing until you actually do something.
Every day, we let hesitation and uncertainty
stop us from acting on our ideas. Pick one plan, one goal, or one idea. And get
started. Take one small step. (For example, here's how to start a small
business while still keeping your full time job.)
The
first step is by far the hardest. Successive steps are always easier.
2. "I
will do what no one else is willing to do."
Often
the easiest way to be different is to do the things other people refuse to do.
So pick one thing other people won't do. It
can be simple. It can be small. It doesn't matter. Whatever it is, do it.
You'll instantly be a little different from the rest of the pack.
Then
keep going. Every day, think of one thing to do that no one else is willing to
do.
After a week, you'll be uncommon. After a
month, you'll be special. After a year, you'll be incredible, and you
definitely won't be like anyone else. (And, in the process, you
will develop remarkable determination and willpower.)
3. "I
will face a fear."
The
most paralyzing fear is fear of the unknown (at least, it is for me).
Yet
nothing ever turns out to be as hard or as scary as we think. Plus, it's
incredibly exciting to overcome a fear. You get that "I can't believe
I just did that!" rush, a thrill you may not have experienced for a long
time.
Every day, do one thing a little scary,
whether physically or emotionally. Trust that you will figure out how to
overcome any problems that arise. Because
you will.
4. "I
will appreciate someone unappreciated."
Some
jobs require more effort than skill. Delivering packages, bagging groceries,
checking out customers -- the tasks themselves are relatively easy. The
difference is in the effort.
So
do more than say a reflexive "thanks" to someone who does a thankless
job. Smile. Make eye contact. Exchange a kind word.
All
around you are people who work hard with little or no recognition. Vow to be
the person who recognizes at least one of them every day.
Not
only will you give respect, you'll earn the best kind of respect -- the respect
that comes from making a difference, however fleeting, in another person's
life.
5. "I
will listen 10 times more than I speak."
I
used to talk a lot. I thought I was insightful and clever and witty and, well,
I thought I was a real hoot. Occasionally, very occasionally, I might even have
been one of those things.
Most
of the time I was not.
Genuinely confident people don't feel the need to talk. While I hate
when it happens, I still sometimes realize I'm not talking because the other
person is interested in what I have to say but because I'm interested in what I
have to say. (Ick.)
Never
speak just to please yourself. When you do, you please no one.
6. "I
will not care what other people think."
Most
of the time, we should worry about what other people think--but not if it
stands in the way of living the lives we really want to live.
If you really want to start a business
-- which
you can do in just a few hours, mind you -- but you're worried that people
might say you're crazy, do it anyway. Pick one thing you haven't tried because
you're concerned about what other people would think or say and just go do it.
It's
your life. Live it your way.
7. "I
will answer the question that wasn't asked."
Sometimes people
are hesitant. Sometimes they're insecure. Sometimes they're shy. Whatever the
reason, sometimes people will ask a different question than the one they really
want you to answer.
One
employee might ask whether you think he should take a few college courses. What
he really wants to know is whether you see him as able to grow in your
organization; he hopes you'll say you do and he hopes you'll share the reasons
why.
Your
husband might ask if you thought the woman at the party was flirting with him.
What he really wants to know is if you still think he's flirt-worthy and
attractive; he hopes you'll say you do, and he'll love when you share the
reasons why.
Behind
many questions is an unasked question.
Pay
attention so you can answer that question too -- because that is the
answer the other person doesn't just want but needs.
8. "I
will be OK with less than perfect."
Yes, you only get one chance to make a first
impression. Yes, perfection is the only acceptable outcome. Unfortunately, no
product or service is ever perfect, and no project or initiative is perfectly
planned. In fact, the quest for
perfection can often be your worst enemy.
Work
hard, do great work, do your best, and let it go. Your customers and colleagues
will tell you what needs to be improved, and that means you'll get to make
improvements that actually matter to people.
You
can't accomplish anything until you let go. Do your best, let go, and then
trust that you'll work hard to overcome any shortcomings.
9. "I
will try to do better."
We've
all screwed up. We all have things we could have done better. Words. Actions.
Omissions. Failing to step up, step in, or be supportive.
Successful
people don't expect to be perfect, but they do think they can always be better.
So
think back on yesterday. Think about what went well. Then think about what
didn't go as well as it could have and take ownership. Take responsibility.
And
promise yourself that today you will do a lot better.
10. "The
one thing I can always do is outwork them."
Like
Jimmy Spithill, skipper of America's Cup-winning Oracle Team USA, said,
"Rarely have I seen a situation where doing less than the other guy is a
good strategy."
You
may not be as experienced, as well funded, as well connected, as talented, but
you can always outthink, out hustle, and outwork everyone else. The extra mile
is a vast, unpopulated wasteland--everyone talks about the extra mile, but few
people go there.
Even
when everything else seems stacked against you, effort and persistence can
still be your competitive advantages--and they may be the only advantages you
truly need.
11. "I
will stop and smell my roses."
You
have big plans and big goals. And you're never satisfied, because satisfaction
breeds complacency.
Unfortunately, most of the time that means
you're unhappy, because you think more about what you have not achieved,
have not done, and do not have.
(Of course, the key is to instead do things that make you
happy more often.)
Take a moment and think about what you do have,
both professionally and especially personally.
At
this moment, you have more than you once could ever dream possible.
Sure,
always strive for more, but always take a moment to realize that all the things
you have, especially your relationships, are more important than anything you
hope to have.
Unlike
a want, what you have isn't a hope, a wish, or a dream. What you already have
is real.
And
it's awesome. And it's yours.
Appreciate
it.
BY JEFF HADEN
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/11-affirmations-successful-people-repeat-every-day.html?cid=em01016week04a
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