If you’ve ever poked fun at someone who lives by the mantra “If you see it, you can achieve it,” laugh no more. Studies have shown that using positive affirmations and visualizations of success can be key to reaching your goals. What exactly are affirmations, you ask? They are the things we say to ourselves repeatedly, either out loud or in our thoughts, and they can be both positive and negative. These thoughts and visualizations help to shape the world around you.
Have you ever found yourself thinking of a career change, but can’t seem to take that next step? Or maybe you’ve started the process, but struggle with confidence in the interview. Wherever the issue may lie, implementing positive affirmations and visualizations into your daily routine can give you the extra edge needed to not only improve your interview skills and outlook in your job search, but give you the little something extra you need to finally land that oh so elusive dream job.
Not convinced yet? Here are 4 reasons why you need to start positive affirmations and visualizations today:
1. You will overcome the fear of the interview
Interviews can be scary. Who will I be meeting? Will they like me? What kind of questions will they be asking? These types of questions are common for anyone to have before their big meeting. We have good news though! Studies have shown that visualizing yourself as successful in the moment can trick your brain into believing it. Want to calm your nerves before you walk into the lion’s den? Read through the job description and picture yourself achieving success in that role, performing the tasks, and acing the face-to-face meeting. Once you’ve already seen yourself doing everything well, talking about it is not so intimidating.
2. You will develop and improve your skill-set
Ever wonder how some of the great athletes like Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan got to the heights of their profession? Practice. And then a little more practice. And then when they were tired of practicing, they practiced some more. It takes time, dedication and determination to develop and improve your skill-set to make yourself stand out to a hiring manager.
But remember, the countless hours the greats spend practicing aren’t always just on the course or court – Michael Jordan made a lot of game-winning shots in his head before he ever made one on the court. It’s important to be able to display your talents at the highest level to give you the confidence you need to be on top at the end of the hiring process. So don’t be afraid to practice your interview questions with a friend or take an online class to increase your knowledge in your desired field. These extra practices could be the game-winning ticket to your next career.
3. You will stop procrastinating
What’s the hardest part about searching for a new job? Starting. For many people the interview might come easy, but they don’t even get to that point simply because the thought of scanning through hundreds of jobs and filling out an application seems so daunting. This is where positive affirmation can mean everything. Remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place and how capable you are of doing it well. Want to do one better? Write it down and put it in a place you can clearly see. Whether it’s a job search or New Year’s resolution, there’s a reason you wanted to do this and positive affirmation can give you the final push you need.
4. You will be the communicator you’ve always wanted to be
Perhaps the best reason for you to start using affirmations – one that has implications far beyond a job search – is that they can help you become the communicator you’ve always dreamed of being. The scariest part about the job search or a new career is creating new relationships. Affirmations can improve your whole approach, the way you talk, listen, use body language, and show overall confidence. Visualizing a successful speech in front of your peers might just turn some heads at your new job and in-turn, set you up for success.
Visualizing your success and affirming your capabilities are a part of the process. These tasks might seem trivial at times, but rest assured – if you stick to them, they will work! And remember, although these are some great motivators specific to your job search, affirmations and visualization can be used to improve any part of your life.