The Truth About Generic Affirmations and How to Make Them Work

Affirmations, motivational statements used to reprogram your subconscious mind to focus on positive outcomes rather than dwelling on negativity, are widely used in the self-help world. We are encouraged to use affirmations to boost confidence and quiet negative self-talk.

Sounds awesome, right?!

What if I told you that popular (and frequently suggested) “I am” affirmations like “I am capable” and “I am rich” are not as impactful as you think?

The issue with these “generic” affirmations is that many people use them as a band-aid to override their negative thoughts. For example, if you are genuinely struggling with money and think “I am broke” the suggested affirmation would be “I am rich.” (The direct opposite of your negative thought.)

But the thing is … your brain calls bullshit on this. If you are truly struggling with money you cannot trick your brain into thinking otherwise. It will not magically be like, “ohhh I’m rich?! Okay awesome I didn’t realize!!!”

So what should you do instead to create affirmations that actually work? 

Enter “Progress Affirmations”

Progress Affirmations are not just the “opposite” of the negative thought you’re having. They are statements that use logic, facts, and feelings to boost your confidence based on the truth of the situation.

For example…

Saying “I am rich” probably won’t magically make you rich because your brain knows that you don’t actually believe that, right now. Instead, try reframing “I am rich” to “I am open to attracting more money daily” making a progress-based statement that is true in the moment.

Your brain takes this statement and says, “wow… that’s actually true, okay I can work with that!” and then works to find evidence to prove this to be true (affirming an attraction to more opportunities for wealth into your life).

Tangible Takeaway 

Do you use Affirmations when presented with a challenge? What are 3 generic affirmations you typically use, and how could you turn them into Progress Affirmations? Share yours in the comments. – Alex