Flipside of Midlife: How Affirmations Create Results You Crave
Words are powerful, my friend. The most powerful words you encounter on any given day are the ones you say to and about yourself.
Your thoughts lead to your feelings and your feelings lead to your actions. You know those dreams, intentions, and goals you have for 2024? Yeah, they require action to see the results you want, right? Right.
So what if you see words you say to and about yourself as tools? How might you shift your words to feel differently? What might change about the quality of the actions you take? What possible results would you see?
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I'm Karli Newman, and you're listening to Flipside of Midlife - a podcast for women in midlife and beyond who want to feel inspired, hopeful, confident, and more satisfied with life than ever before.
My passion is to help you explore this transformational time of life, prioritize your wants and needs, and make these years your best years. It's at the heart of my business, and it's why I show up here to dig into relevant topics that help you expand into the powerful and resilient woman you are.
Get on my email list for weekly tidbits, shop my unique 'made for midlife and beyond' online shop, or work closely with me in my coaching programs, virtual workshops, and private wellness getaways. If you happen to be in Phoenix, I'd love to see you at my monthly wellness events, too.
I'm a coach for women in midlife and beyond because I don't want you to spend years figuring it out on your own like I did. Don't waste your precious time!
You're more likely to get what you want on the Flipside of Midlife when you have the support of someone who has traveled the road before you, understands where you are, and cheers for you as you move closer to where you want to be.
Take a baby step, my friend. Visit my website, 823groupaz.com, to see what feels right for you.
I have a few favorites in my wellness toolbox and positive affirmations are one of them. I love the powerful punch they pack and how versatile they are.
As a refresher, a positive affirmation is a statement or phrase that helps you reframe negative thinking and challenge unhelpful thoughts.
Two examples are 'I am sure of my ability to achieve my goals.' And ' My mistakes are beautiful because they help me learn.' You can find a plethora of other examples online.
Affirmations are a simple way to increase your self-confidence, replace negative thoughts with positive ones, and boost your belief in yourself to create your desired change. Affirmations can be used to sustain motivation and inspire you when you need it most.
Sounds pretty freaking awesome, right?
Awesomely powerful, yes. But they are not a wave-of-the-wand magical fix.
As you hopefully know, there are no quick fixes if you want long lasting results. Positive affirmations reveal their full power through consistent use over time, so it's ideal to form habits around them. Let's take a closer look at how to make that happen.
Grab your journal, notebook, or favorite app, and get ready for some note-taking. If now's not a good time for you to write, listen through to the end of the episode so you know what to expect and then come right back here when you're ready. I'll include the time marker in the show notes and transcript for you.
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If you want to make it easier to establish new habits, I encourage you to try habit stacking.
This is a term used for using the habits that are already well-ingrained in your life to form a new habit. By stacking your new habit with the current habit or habits, it takes less brain power to remember the new habit. This makes you more likely to practice it, which makes it more likely to become a habit.
So, the new habit you want to establish is saying your affirmations. What is an existing habit you can pair that with?
How about brushing your teeth? Why not look in the mirror and say your affirmations to yourself while you're brushing your teeth. Or maybe you say them out loud while looking in the mirror before you brush your teeth.
It's suggested to repeat your affirmations two to five times every day. The key is to figure out what feels good and works best for you.
Think about your day and choose a few times when you can add a minute or two of affirmation work. Yes, that's all it needs to be - a minute or two!
Here are a few more ideas for you to get your wheels turning.
This one happens to be something that I do. Before you get out of bed in the morning, repeat your affirmations in your head while you're stretching. This combination has kept me consistent for over eight months now, and it helps me start my day feeling so good in both body and mind.
Do you have a journaling habit? Start or end your journaling practice by writing down your affirmations.
How about before you eat a meal or while drinking water? When you pull into or out of your driveway. When you start your daily walk or as you stretch at the end of it. When you close your eyes to fall asleep. That's another one of my favorite times.
If you missed last week's episode about your best vision board yet, definitely go back and listen to that episode. A vision board paired with an affirmation practice is a power couple you want in your life!
Whether you're new to affirmations or a seasoned pro, it can feel awkward to say them out loud. But I encourage you to use this method at least once a day. Repeating your affirmations out loud requires your whole focus. It leaves no room for your mind to wander or for negative thoughts to distract you. Your words are absorbed by your subconscious and the intent seeps into your identity.
Another suggestion is to record yourself saying your affirmations and then listen to them. Hearing your affirmations in your voice resonates differently than saying them to yourself in your head.
What if you were to create an affirmation practice that incorporates 'in your head', out loud, writing, and listening?
Sounds very, very powerful to me.
Here's a quick to do before I wrap this episode. Take a moment to notice two to three negative or unhelpful thoughts that have come up for you this year. For each of them, write an affirmation that helps you change it to a positive and helpful thought.
Remember, my friend, you get to choose the affirmations that help you reframe your negative thinking and challenge any unhelpful thoughts. Write your own, use your AI tools, or do a Google search for positive affirmations that address your specific needs.
Change them up as you notice shifts in your mindset or new unhelpful thoughts arise.
Use affirmations in a way that feels good and is sustainable for you. Because your thoughts lead to your feelings, which lead to your actions, which lead to your results. The results you crave.
2024 is just starting. Think of the possibilities when an affirmation practice is part of it.
Thanks for listening to Flipside of Midlife. I'd love to hear from you.
What light bulbs turned on for you during this episode? Send me an email at karli@823groupaz.com, or if you're listening on Spotify, use your mobile app to respond to my Q and A and poll questions.
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