Have you ever noticed a trend in the thinking patterns of successful people? Have you ever wondered why it seems like success comes so easily to some people and so difficult for others?

It all has to do with your beliefs and self-talk.

People that achieve success in a consistent basis have one thing in common. Whether they are successful athletes, executives, business owners, or artists, they all know that they will succeed. They know this before they even attempt to achieve the goal they set out for themselves. They envision themselves living the way they want to live and feeling the excitement, gratitude, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from reaching what they set out to do.

Positive self-talk is the dialogue that goes on in your mind. It is where you believe in yourself and are confident in your capabilities to the point that you are certain that you will succeed. Here is a list of steps you can take to create positive self-talk to get ahead in life.

1. Choose to create positive self-talk. When you realize the enormous power that thoughts have over your actions and view of life, you should make a decision to stop living your life with self-imposed limitations. Once you opt for a life filled with opportunities, potential, and fulfillment, you take the most important step to creating the reality you desire.

2. Feed your mind. Choose to look for good things to focus your thinking on. Focus your attention on positive, uplifting, and encouraging words to say to yourself. For example: “I don’t have to finish everything in my task list today” or “Dealing with this client will make me a more patient person.” Choose to look for the silver lining.

3. Practice persistence. Now that you realize that your self-talk has been going on for decades, you must know that taking back control over your self-talk will not happen overnight. It is a progress that will require your effort.

Continue to find ways to remind yourself to stop and analyze any negative self-talk and to counter it with a positive message to yourself. As you do this, it will become easier. You will reach a point where you do this without realizing it and building your positive self-talk will actually become second nature.

4. Observe your self-talk. Try to relate to your thoughts as scenes in a movie theater screen. When you put yourself in the role of a third party or outsider, it is a lot easier to practice neutrality and to see a situation for what it really is. By becoming an observer of your thoughts and self-talk, you are better able to assess their validity or lack thereof in each thought or thinking pattern. In time, you will also be more apt to seeing trends in triggers that cause the negative self-talk to take place.

5. Reframe your Thinking. When you become aware of having a negative thought, give it a positive spin. For example, if your self-talk tells you “I’m never going to get the promotion. I’m late to work yet again!;” remove the negative opinion and the judgment from it. Then, you can reframe it into a more positive message like “I was late to the office today, what can I do or avoid doing to get here on time?” Don’t allow your self-talk to beat you up so much. Take control of it and give them a spin. Focus on how you can avoid doing the behavior again.

6. Watch for Absolutes. A lot of people have a tendency to use phrases like “I always,” “I never,” or “I am” with negative self-talk. These phrases can be terribly harmful to you. They create an instant limitation on you and your capacity for change. Avoid them at all costs. A good way of doing this is asking yourself questions regarding the self-talk message.

7. Ask yourself Questions. Ask yourself questions like: 1. What led me to this thought?, 2. What would be a better solution or way to handle the situation I’m facing?, 3. What would allow me to overcome this challenge?, 4. What is another potential outcome in this situation?, 5. What would be the worst thing that could happen?, 6. If the worst thing that could happen did happen, how would that affect me? Is the effect really that bad? Is it fatal? These questions are a great way of combating limiting self-talk.

8. Stop the Thought. While you are in the middle of listening to your negative self-talk, stop your thoughts mid-stream by saying “Stop”. If your surroundings allow you to say this out loud, do so. The physical act of saying “stop” out loud will make you better aware of the frequency in which you are stopping negative thoughts, when it happens, where you are when it happens, and what is happening right before it.

9. Rubber-Band Snap. Wear a rubber band on your wrist and snap it each time you hear negative self-talk in your mind. If you can’t say “Stop” out loud, this is a great alternative. The physical pain you feel from this action will be a huge motivator in stopping the negative self-talk.

10. Replace Negative Self-talk with Other Messages. A lot of people find it easier to replace negative self-talk with positive messages than to remove self-talk altogether. Some things you can do to replace your negative self-talk are: A. Use more gentle words to refer to yourself and to situations. (For example instead of thinking “I hate being late,” replace that thought with “I really don’t like being late.”) and B. Change Limiting Self-talk like “I can’t win this case!” or “I’m not going to be able to get that client!” to questions like “Why would I not win this case?” and “What can I do to prepare for it better?”

Self-limiting statements are extremely harmful. They not only increase your stress in response to a situation but paralyze you from finding solutions to the problem. Replace these thoughts with questions instead. This way, you’ll be in the right frame of mind for finding ways to solve the problem. Asking yourself, “How can I win this case?” or “What can I do to get that client?” is much more empowering, isn’t it?

11. Learn Discipline. View your practice of removing and changing your negative self-talk like you would a work out plan. You are not going to see results right away but will feel great once you do. Just like there will be days where you are not motivated to go to the gym, there will also be days where you are not motivated to keep track of your negative self-talk or counter it with positive messages. Doing it however helps us develop our discipline and drive.

It gives us a sense of pride for our accomplishment and a sense of control over our life. It’s an incredible boost of confidence!

12. Modify the Golden Rule. We are creatures of habit. It’s no wonder how easily we can fall into patterns of self destructive thoughts and behavior. Instead of continuing to be your own worst critic, teach yourself to be your best support. Be respectful to yourself and treat yourself with the same compassion and kindness that you would treat others around you. Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t want another person to say to you.

I'm really looking forward to working with you to reach new heights of success and balance in your personal and professional life! Sonia Gallagher, JD Holistic Executive Life Coach PS. If you are ready to be challenged, to steer your life in a new direction, and to achieve the goals you desire, I invite you to request a Free Coaching Session and Experience Coaching and How It Can Benefit Your First-hand!

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What type of leader are you? Be honest with yourself.  Are you as inspirational as you would like to be? Does your team give you 100% of their time and energy each and every time? In this article, we’ll talk about how training for executives can help you achieve this and more.

As leaders, we are catalysts for change and dedication from our staff. We essentially lead all the time.   If you are the head of a law firm, a department, or a business, you are certainly leading by your words and by your actions.

Communication.  A leader’s role is pivotal in creating a positive work environment for his or her staff. You should always demonstrate integrity, loyalty, productivity, and hard work. These messages should be reflected in every message you relay through both verbal and non-verbal communication.

Training for executives can help make you and extraordinary leader and communicator.  One of the key ingredients to being a successful leader is communication skills.  Successful owners of law firms, managers, supervisors, and CEO’s already know the importance of being a phenomenal listener. They hire companies that do coaching and training for executives to become experts at both verbal and non-verbal communication. They invest their time in becoming experts at reading body language.

Think about it, the higher you go in the corporate ladder, the more unlikely it is that your staff will tell you what’s really going on.  The best way to lose that disconnection that is so common is to listen to what they are not telling you.   You can gain a huge amount of insight from your staff members, clients, and colleagues through body language. This is one of the key areas in which training for executives can improve your leadership qualities and your company’s morale.

Accessibility. A good leader should always be accessible – practice the open door policy – and seek to always reward their staff for their efforts and hard work. Leaders are the types of people that their teams will give 110% to without even batting an eye.

Meaning.  Looking at positive psychology theory and research, we know how important it is for people to perceive that what they do is meaningful. Having that knowledge helps us to grow and develop in our personal and professional life.  When we feel we are making a difference in the tasks and projects we do and the challenges we are given, we grow as individuals and gain professional fulfillment.   For many, meaningful work is more important than a pay check.  It’s what makes them get up in the morning with a smile on their face to happily face the new day and look forward to getting to the office.  Smart companies already know this and take advantage of programs focused on training for executives to capitalize on this. Remember this next time you hire someone or assign a task to your associate or team member.

Being a good leader is a skill that is developed through training for executives.  Your development is worth every second of your investment. It is an investment in your own potential – AND in the potential of those that you will lead throughout your life.

I'm really looking forward to working with you to reach new heights of success and balance in your personal and professional life! Sonia Gallagher, JD Holistic Executive Life Coach PS. If you are ready to be challenged, to steer your life in a new direction, and to achieve the goals you desire, I invite you to request a Free Coaching Session and Experience Coaching and How It Can Benefit Your First-hand!

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According to the SMART acronym for setting achievable goals, when you set a goal for yourself, you should make sure that it is: 1. Specific, 2. Measurable, 3. Achievable, 4. Realistic, and 5. Timely.

1. Specific: When you begin to create goals for yourself, make sure to write down exactly what that goal is, what it entails, and why you want to accomplish it. Make it as clear and specific as possible. Having this clarity will help you to remove uncertainty and doubt of your own capability.

If you feel the goal is too big to tackle, break it down into smaller goals. That is no problem. The point is to design goals for yourself that you will go after.

When you are designing your goal, also make sure to include what is needed for you to reach that goal in regards to tools, people, specific action steps, and resources.

2. Measurable: Make sure to give yourself a deadline for each specific goal you create. Also give deadlines to each action step that you create for each goal.

If you don’t have a definitive deadline, your goal becomes a wish, a desire, or a resolution. Your chances of accomplishing it diminish greatly and your drive and focus goes out the window. Having a clearly set deadline keeps you on track, gives you the pressure that you need to get to where you want to be faster, and shows you whether you are using your time as effectively as possible.

3. Achievable: The goal you set for yourself should be attainable given your circumstances in life, health, and available resources.

4. Realistic: Your goals should require that you move from your comfort zone. Yet, they should not be impossible standards.

5. Timely: Your goal should include a specific time period in which it is to be accomplished. If you fail to have this information as part of your goal setting, you’ll simply be setting a wish, desire, or resolution… not as likely to be accomplished.

I'm really looking forward to working with you to reach new heights of success and balance in your personal and professional life! Sonia Gallagher, JD Holistic Executive Life Coach PS. If you are ready to be challenged, to steer your life in a new direction, and to achieve the goals you desire, I invite you to request a Free Coaching Session and Experience Coaching and How It Can Benefit Your First-hand!

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Do you have a vision reflecting what you want your life to look like this year? Do you have a vision for your life in general?

Have you ever stopped to consider what you want to experience in your life? Are you clear on what your life mission is? Do you know what goals you need to reach this year to get that much closer to your ideal life?

You may be reading this because:

- You want to experience more success in your life.

- You are now certain that the path in which your professional life is going is not the right one.

- You are tired of just “getting by” and want to steer your career in the direction in which you want to go.

- You understand that there is more to life than work and want to experience a greater quality of life.

Whether you want to achieve goals in your personal life or your professional life, you have complete power over whether you achieve these goals or not.

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have available for success. Yet, the majority of us don’t know how to use it to its fullest potential.

Why is it that we allow our negative self-talk to rule our decisions and actions on a regular basis? Why do we allow our own mind to be our own worst enemy and biggest obstacle to our goals when it is the most powerful tool we have available to us?

So, what is a life vision?

A vision is very similar to a business plan. However, it is a plan for your whole life.

When you have a vision, you have a holistic plan in which you focus on each segment of your life and set up ways in which you will take your life to the next level, to its optimal potential, and to true success.

Having a vision is not the same thing as having a goal. A vision is a plan for the bigger picture of your life. It will be filled with goals as these goals will be the stepping stones to reaching your optimal life and vision. For example, if your vision is to have your own successful law practice, a goal that will work towards that vision is to graduate from law school, pass the Bar exam, find mentors that will help you along the way, learn marketing techniques, etc. If you want to become the Vice President of your company, you know you’ll have to do research on the specific criteria needed for the position and obtain the skills needed as you move towards the goal of being VP.

I'm really looking forward to working with you to reach new heights of success and balance in your personal and professional life! Sonia Gallagher, JD Holistic Executive Life Coach PS. If you are ready to be challenged, to steer your life in a new direction, and to achieve the goals you desire, I invite you to request a Free Coaching Session and Experience Coaching and How It Can Benefit Your First-hand!

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Creating a vision of what you want your life to be is essential for achieving it. When you create a vision, you are clarifying to yourself what your optimal life looks like.

That clarity is of utmost importance as it increases your success potential exponentially. The more details you use as part of your vision, the better. These details are information and gems of wisdom for yourself. They help you establish what is truly valuable and important to you. You learn what you will need to live a truly fulfilling life and what you no longer want in your life.

Having a vision gives you the power to take an inventory of each aspect of your life as it is at this very moment. Having this power enables you to create clear and consistent changes in your life. You are able to pin-point with preciseness what is missing in your life, what you would like more of, what you are happy with at the current moment, and what you would like to achieve for yourself in the near future.

Creating a vision of your optimal life is the most crucial step towards creating change, towards taking a hold of the wheel of the ship that is your life, and conducting it to the path that you want to take. It is the one decision that enables you to direct all of your focus, energy, creativity, and aptitude to manifesting what you want to experience, see, and create in your life. You owe it to yourself to take action right now.

I'm really looking forward to working with you to reach new heights of success and balance in your personal and professional life! Sonia Gallagher, JD Holistic Executive Life Coach PS. If you are ready to be challenged, to steer your life in a new direction, and to achieve the goals you desire, I invite you to request a Free Coaching Session and Experience Coaching and How It Can Benefit Your First-hand!

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