Affirmations:
Are They Lifesavers or Just Another Millennial Trend
All of us have at some point given ourselves a pep-talk before doing something daunting. The voice in our head, giving us positive reinforcement and keeping us pumped. This is where affirmations come in. There has been a lot of chatter regarding affirmations on social media recently and we thought why not jump on this with a shooting perspective.
So what are affirmations exactly? They are small phrases and sentences that can be used to boost one’s self-confidence. They can help you get that push or jolt you need to get through a hard day. Some common examples of affirmations are “All I can do is my best.” or “I have what it takes to do better.” But the real question is DO THEY REALLY WORK?
This is a trick question because nothing in this world works like magic. Everything has its pros and cons. If you do anything within a set limit and in the right way, it is bound to work. The same goes for Affirmations. They are a tool that can be used to change a negative mindset into a positive mindset through the power of one’s own words. They cannot fix everything in an instant but they can nuge you towards a more positive outcome.
The tool of affirmations can be a very useful one for everyone out there. This is because, according to a study there are about 45,000 to 51,000 thoughts that cross our minds, every single day. And that’s not the most shocking fact. It was found that approximately 80% of these thoughts are NEGATIVE. Boy-oh-boy those are a lot of harmful thoughts for just one day. All that energy being spent on negative thoughts can be easily neutralised by a handful of affirmations.
But what makes affirmations so beneficial and why have they become such a social media trend? Do they really work or is it just another millennial craze? Well, we have all heard of the saying, “Where there is smoke, there is fire.” It is the same with affirmations as well. They are short and simple expressions that pack a powerful punch. They create mental images in the mind of the sayer, which in turn inspire and motivate them to do better.
Now as always, you need to believe in the power and meaning of the saying if you want it to work. If you do not believe you can do better, repeating it once a day will not make it come true. So you need your conscious and subconscious mind to believe the affirmation you recite (out loud or to yourself). The slightest hint of positive energy and thought will then in turn change into positive action and behaviour.
The power of affirmations tells us a lot about how versatile our mind can be. It has an enormous ability to adapt according to the energy it is surrounded by. This is why if you surround yourself with positive and constructive energy, your mind will adapt accordingly and mimic what it sees. This is why affirmations are so useful when used in the correct manner and environment. So by creating a positive mental image, you can activate those parts of your brain that would be active when you are actually succeeding in a situation.
Now as shooters, what can we do with this information? Well the first thing that comes to mind is using affirmations to control the negative thoughts that enter our mind during a match. Let’s explain the usefulness of an affirmation like “I will perform the best I can today.” Such a statement can be very useful when you are in the middle of a bad streak. If you have shot a couple of bad shots, saying an affirmation like this to yourself can be a game changer.
An affirmation will firstly force you to take a break, giving you the opportunity to analyze and correct yourself. Secondly, a positive wave of energy will flow through you, preparing you to do your very best. Affirmations don’t only come into play when you are in a bad situation. They can also be useful in daily life as well. You can say an affirmation every morning or before starting your practice. It is a good habit to have a set of positive thoughts set up to counter the negativity that surrounds us.
However, let us not forget that affirmations are not some magic wand you can wave around to make your life more successful. Thinking positively is just a step towards success. One still has to act accordingly. Without action there can be no progress and affirmations can only work when you have the intention to convert its power into actions. The foundation of a positive environment can only be useful when you plan to build upon it with progressive action.
Now we know what you’re thinking!!!!! HOW DO WE MAKE OUR OWN AFFIRMATIONS? Don’t worry. We have got you covered. This article will not be complete without a section that talks about how to make your own affirmation. There are a couple of things that you can keep in mind when making your own affirmation.
The first thing that can be useful is to tap into your insecurities and target them directly. Pick any negative thought or insecurity you have about yourself and write down a positive counterpart to it. Don’t overthink it and just write the first positive emotion that comes to mind. The next thing you can do is to make sure your affirmations are simple and short. Such affirmations are easy to remember and even short ones can pack a punch.
The third thing to remember is to always make an affirmation in the 1st person, i.e. with an “I” or “My”. By doing this you are directing the positive thought directly to yourself, thus creating a deeper impact. For example “I chose to be positive” is a more impactful statement than “Positive thoughts are coming into my mind”. But you should stay clear of statements with emotions of want and need. Phrases like “I need” or “I want” should be completely avoided because they produce a feeling of greed instead of progress.
The last and most important point is to make sure your affirmations are realistic. This is a very important point when we talk about shooters. We should not make unrealistic affirmations because of two very important reasons. Firstly, they can create a false sense of hope, which if broken can leave you feeling hurt and betrayed. Secondly, when you make an unrealistic affirmation you know deep down that this is not possible and so you yourself do not believe in it. For example, saying “I am going to qualify for the national finals today”, when you haven’t practiced for months is an unrealistic affirmation that is doing you no good. Instead you can say “I am going to do my very best today.”
Did you know that there are many such techniques that can help shooters train their mind and improve their shooting. So before we end this article, we would like to tell you about an amazing workshop that teaches shooters how to train their minds. BULLETPROOF WORKSHOP by Coach Aman is a seminar that explains and focuses on the importance of mental training. So if you want to reinforce your mind click on this link and we will get back to you with more details. If you liked our article then let us know in the comments section below. If you have tried affirmations, share your experience with us and our readers.
Keep Growing Shooters!!!
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Social media trends have become part of our lives now. And one of the latest trends we see now-a-days is Affirmations.
What are affirmations? Are they just simple phrases one says during the day? Do they really work? And can they really help us in shooting?
Well if you want to know everything about Affirmations then read our latest article “Affirmations: Are They Lifesavers or Just Another Millennial Trend”, now up on our website.