What Makes a Good Affirmation (and what makes a bad one!)

What makes a good affirmation, and what makes a bad one?

There is much misinformation and misunderstanding around this topic.

Affirmations can be a powerful tool for self-improvement and personal growth, but what makes a good affirmation, and what makes a bad one?

Unfortunately, there is much misinformation and misunderstanding around this topic.

There are 6 key factors that determine whether an affirmation is effective or ineffective. So let’s take a look at each of them now.

Specific vs Vague: 

Many people believe that a good affirmation needs to be specific and targeted to the area you want to improve, and that affirmations should be clear and concise, and focused on a particular goal or outcome. 

And while this advice isn't wrong, it is incomplete. Because your affirmations also need to... 

Be Believable: 

Affirmations need to be believable if they are to be effective.

 If you don't believe that what you're affirming is true, or at least possible, it's unlikely to have a positive effect. In fact, affirmations that are too grandiose or unrealistic can actually have a negative effect and do more harm than good.

And that is why sometimes, it is better to be less specific with your language. It's easier to believe and accept an affirmation that is written in a more general and vague way. This kind of language can also be highly inspiring and exciting to the emotional part of you that motivates you to take action

Use Positive language: 

This is another one of the common pieces of advice that isn't wrong, but is also incomplete. 

Most people believe that affirmations should be stated in positive language, focusing on what you want to achieve, rather than what you want to avoid or eliminate. And while it is true that you want to focus on positive, motivating language that speaks to what you deeply want, you shouldn't fall into the misguided trap of thinking that if you mention what you don't want, that doing so will somehow cause it to happen. 

You want to primarily focus on what motivates you to change - whatever that is for you. And it is a known psychological fact that people will generally do far more to avoid pain, than they will do to seek pleasure. 

So don't be afraid to make use of everything that is truly motivating you to create more of what you want in your life, even if that means mentioning what you don't want, or what you want to change.

Elicit an Emotional resonance: 

Good affirmations evoke a positive emotional response, such as confidence, joy, inspiration, motivation or gratitude. They should make you feel good about yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. If an affirmation doesn't resonate emotionally, it is not likely to be effective. 

The truth is that all behavior - and all change - is state dependent, so if you use affirmations that create a positive shift to your emotional state, that shift will ripple out and affect your thoughts and actions.

Focus on action and progress: 

Too often people only focus their affirmations on the outcome they want, and expect it to magically happen. 

Affirmations are not magic, but they can be magically powerful at motivating you to DO the things you need to do to change your life! So focus your affirmations on the things that really drive the changes and outcomes you want to create. And those things are your thoughts, beliefs, states, and actions.

Utilize Repetition: 

Affirmations need to be repeated consistently in order to have a real impact. Repetition of anything is what creates a new neural pathway, and neural pathways are the basis for all our automatic thoughts, beliefs and behaviors. And all change begins with a change to the relevant neural pathways. 

Good affirmations are ones that you can easily remember and incorporate into your daily routine. If you forget to use and repeat them regularly, they simply won't have the desired effect.

No matter which area of your life you are looking to improve or what kind of changes you want to make with your affirmations, if you keep these 6 key factors in mind as you select and create your affirmations, you are much more likely to see the results that you desire from your affirmation sessions.