Do you have a little voice inside your head that sometimes tells you things you don't want to hear?

Maybe it tells you that you're not good enough; that there's no way you're going to be able to accomplish your goals; or maybe it simply second guesses every decision or action you try to make.

If this sounds like you, then keep reading, because below you will find several proven strategies for changing the way you think and turning negative mind chatter into a powerful way to coach yourself to greater success.

There are two major challenges that most people face in terms of the way they think about things:

Focusing on the Negative Equivalent

Most people focus on the negative equivalent of what they want to create in their life, which unwittingly creates more of what they already have.

For example, let's say you are trying to lose weight.  Since what you focus on expands, and because the brain cannot process negative commands, focusing on 'losing weight' will only actually create a situation where weight loss becomes difficult at best.  Or you may lose weight then gain it back again so that you can continue to lose it.

Changing the goal to achieving and maintaining an ideal and healthy body weight is actually much more supportive way of looking at it over the long term because it is a goal that you can continually focus on to create the reality you wish you see.

Here are some common goals, stated in their negative equivalents:
• Lose weight
• Quit smoking
• Get out of debt

Now here are the positive equivalents of the same goals:
• Achieve and maintain a fit, healthy body
• Become smoke-free
• Become financially free

See the difference?  By changing the way you conceive of your goals you drastically change the focus of your energy, which will naturally result in success with less effort.

Negative Mind Chatter

The reality is that even the most successful people experience negative mind chatter, at least from time to time.  The major difference between you and them is that they have learned some specific strategies to deal with negative thinking when it comes up.

The first thing is to learn to recognize when negative mind chatter - T. Harv Eker calls it 'mind frick' - shows up and tries to take you out of your game.  Learning to identify negative self talk as it is happening removes the power it has over you when it is used as a catalyst for change.

Awareness is the first step, but without follow-up action to change the behaviour, awareness is kind of like chewing without swallowing: the food may taste really great but unless you internalize the nutrients it won't do you a whole lot of good.

The second step then is to use your awareness to reset your negative mind chatter and turn it into something more supportive.

Perhaps you are trying to become financially independent and the thought comes into your head that 'you can barely keep your head above water.'  When you recognize this non-supportive thought as it comes up in your mind one of two things can happen.

1. The negative thought starts a spiral of negativity on the subject of your financial health; or
2. You can use the negative thought to identify a non-supportive habit and immediately take an action in the opposite direction.

This opposite-action could be something as simple as re-stating your commitment to become financially free or transferring as little as five dollars to your loan or credit card account, thereby reducing your debt load and affirming your belief in your own ability to become financially free.

When you change the language you think in from the negative to the positive perspective and apply 'opposite-action' habits each time you catch yourself thinking in unsupportive ways, you set yourself up for natural and automatic success.

Paul Keetch

Paul Keetch is a writer, marketing and business coach and founder of the free monthly membership website http://www.theMondayMentor.com. Claim your weekly coaching membership absolutely free right now.

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