What self-talk is happening in your head?

Many of our Institute students tell us that they often lose motivation. Their goals seem really far off and the loneliness of the long distance learner sometimes just becomes too much to bear.

Here are some really simple tips to follow when the chatter in your head begins to pull you down:

1. See things as they are - but not worse than they are. Take stock of where you are at and paint the picture in a realistic way. Avoid any type of catastrophic language: no, you are not living through a "nightmare" unless genuinely you have had terrible tragedies occur.

2. Draw, design, copy and paste or collage your vision of what it is that excites you, that drives you, that you want to achieve. Make it compelling. Add strong language to your visuals. Remember: you can accomplish anything that you get really hungry about.

3. As Anthony Robbins says, "the only thing that is keeping you from getting to where you want to be, is the story you keep telling yourself." If you are repeating a story that depicts you as a loser, a victim of circumstances who the world is out to get, you are missing out on the opportunity to become great and to achieve great things.Accept that you cannot control the world - you can however control your own self chatter.

4. March the 20 mile march: One of the greatest management thinkers, Jim Collins, believes that great leaders are consistent and set out on a 20 mile march every day. Collins refers to the 2 great explorers: Roald Amundsen and Captain Robert Falcon Scott, both of whom were trying to reach the South Pole first in 1911. Amundsen made it by steadily and consistently marching a 20 mile march, no matter the weather conditions, no matter how tired his team was. He applied great discipline in a world he could not control. This rhythm that you set yourself to study that bit every day, rain or shine, makes the critical difference to your success and makes you delete any unnecessary talk in your head.

5. Make a STOP doing list. We all have to do lists that we try to follow. Collins suggests that we also have a list of items that we commit to STOP doing. Stop that negative voice in your head that spins a story that traps you. Stop listening to people who are sabotaging you by giving you negative ideas and suggesting that you won't make it. Avoid the energy suckers or anyone who laughs at your dreams.

6. Exercise! Sounds rather easy as a solution to stop negative thinking. And it works. Once you change your physiology, your body and your movement, your energy levels go along for the ride as does your ability to focus on the right things. Movement is critically important to ensure that you are in a position to delete those toxic thoughts that are like movies we replay over and over again. Walk and move around and what the difference in your thinking patterns. Stand up tall. Sit up straight - these are your energy generators!

7. Life goes in seasons - 'winter' generally is followed by strong and better times. That is your mantra: "And it too shall pass". Things eventually spiral upwards and you ride out the bad times by maintaining your focus. Remember that 'impossible' is just an opinion..... Your 'shoulds' can transform in to your 'musts' because everyone has the capacity to be outstanding.

Your self talk and beliefs are capable of becoming your biggest strengths. They have the power to take you out of your past and to create the future you want.