Are you paying attention to your self-talk?

Are you a positive or negative self-talker?

What does your inner voice sound like?  Are you encouraging yourself to improve and keep working hard?  Or do you get frustrated easily when you do something incorrectly?  As many of you know, I am an avid tennis player.  One of the guys that I play against at my local tennis club, has quite the temper.  Oftentimes, he will lose his cool and start with the (very) negative self-talk, throwing his racket, etc.  In the #CJJblog this week, I wanted to give you some tips on how you can improve your self-talk and the proper ways you can speak to yourself.  Enjoy.

  • Listen.  The next time you start to coach yourself or direct you on a task, pay attention to the tone.  Are you sarcastic?  Supportive?  Are you helping or hindering yourself?
  • Negativity.  Catch it and eliminate it.  If you do notice a negative self-talk statement from yourself, say “Cancel. Cancel.” and repeat the phrase in a more positive way.
  • Mantra.  Do you have one?  What is your favorite?  Pick one out that means something to you and repeat it to yourself while you are working on something.  For example “Tough moments don’t last, but tough people do.”
  • Mornings.  How do you start your day?  Do you have a routine that always gets you in the right frame of mind to dominate the day?  When you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say “I am responsible” and “I like myself.”
  • Bookend your days.  How do you start (and finish) your days?  I like to write things down in a journal and assess how the day went.  How you start and end your days need to be taken more seriously if you are to improve your self-talk.
  • Anchor.  Have you developed an anchor to consistently ground you and your team to something meaningful?  A note, slogan, or phrase posted somewhere can go a long way in keeping your positive thoughts.
  • Adversity.  How do you handle adversity?  Do you immediately blame yourself?  As a leader, you must keep calm and be the rock your team needs.
  • Imagination.  You can actually trick your mind into thinking something good is happening by visualizing your desired outcome.  Positive imagery is very powerful.  Close your eyes and try it!

Did You Know?  Coach Jim Johnson spoke at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) back in 2016 to a group of students.  Last week, one of those students reached out to Coach and let him know that speech motivated him to write a book (and mentions Coach!).  How cool is that?!

Life Tip #13:  Meditate or sit quietly for at least ten minutes each day.

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