Affirmations can be a big help in creating the things, experiences, relationships, careers, spiritual growth and bank accounts you want. But, if done incorrectly they can come back to bite you. The important thing to remember about affirmations is imagining you already have what you want and tuning into the feeling that brings you.

Here are some guidelines to help you get the most from your affirmations:

1. Keep them short. Getting too wordy becomes unwieldy. You want your affirmation to be clear and unambiguous.

2. Use the present tense. If you you say things like,”I will,” you keep what you want in the future. The use of “I am” is very powerful languaging. So, you can say “I am so excited to be in my perfect career,” instead of “I will find my perfect career.”

3. Make it a positive statement. Avoid using words like “no,” “not,” “never,” “nothing.” The Universe and our subconscious minds don’t hear negatives.

Law of Attraction author and speaker, Michael Losier, says the Universe is like Google. Try Googling “No football” and see what comes up! Phrase your affirmation in terms of what you DO want.

Instead of, “I am not afraid of speaking up at work,” change it to, “I feel confident and at ease when I speak up at work.”

Another word to avoid is “want.” Want focuses on lack. It makes you aware of not having it yet.

4. Be specific about what you want. Fuzzy thinking and vague affirmations get fuzzy results—if any. Instead of “I have more money,” say “I am so happy and grateful that I now have $100,000 in savings.”

Just saying “more money” means you can find a dime and that’s it. Well, great, that’s more but not even close to what you really want! (By the way, if you do find a dime on the ground, acknowledge it! Every chance you get to appreciate increase sends a message you’re open to it!)

5. Make it emotionally meaningful for you. Think about how you expect to feel when you attain your goals. Including words that evoke positive feelings as you say your affirmation make it more powerful. The Universe doesn’t respond to our words. It responds to our vibration. What we are energetically vibrating is the result of how we feel. As in the example above, adding “I’m so happy and grateful” is one way to add positive emotion to your affirmation.

There are many words that can add that emotional boost to your affirmations, such as: enjoying, excited, celebrating, joyfully, effortlessly, easily, confidently, lovingly, gratefully, cheerfully, proudly, effectively and more!

Ex: I am lovingly supporting my children to be fully themselves.
I joyfully allow myself to choose my own path in life.
I am so excited to be doing work I love.

6. Be your genuine self. Phrase your affirmations like you normally speak. You want your affirmations to resonate with who you are. And, most importantly—have fun! Have fun writing them and have fun saying them!

7. Be aware of how you feel as you say them. If you notice you’re feeling contracted rather than expanded when you say an affirmation, it could be because you’re having a hard time believing it. That disbelief is usually coming from a subconscious belief. When that happens, try using “I choose” or “I’ve decided” before the affirmation.

Ex: I choose to joyfully allow myself to be who I am.
I’ve decided I enjoy being myself, just as I am.”

The subconscious can’t argue with a decision or a choice

You can also use this for committing to a process or habits you want to cultivate. For example, instead of,  “I am a successful, published author.” You could say, “I choose (or I’ve decided) to write for 30 minutes a day.”

8. Let the Universe figure out the “How.” Your job right now is to be clear about what you want and to focus on the feeling of having what you desire. Write your affirmations with that in mind.

When you try to think of how you could possibly get what you want, it introduces worry and the feeling of lack. The Universe will orchestrate the component parts that are necessary to bring about your desire. Be open to inspired ideas that occur to you and take action on them then. It’s fine to put a plan in place if it feels good, but be open to inspired ideas.

Closing Thoughts:

You may want to keep a journal for writing down your affirmations, then say them aloud. Decide when you will say your affirmations. First thing in the morning or before bed are good times. You may prefer to do them at mid-day as an energy booster. You could add them on to the end of a meditation, or think of them while you’re meditating.

Some people like to have music in the background while saying affirmations. The music should be soothing and relaxing, to help you stay open and positive.

It’s really up to you and what feels good to you!