Can You?
If you're nervous about a task, afraid of failing, and trying to bolster your self-confidence about it, maybe you tell yourself "I can do it," over and over again.
Do you believe you?
If you do, it's probably because you've allowed yourself to first ask "Can I do it?" and answered yes. You probably did this step without realizing it. The affirmation that "I can do it" is a reminder of the truth, not a magic trick.
But if repeating "I can do it" like a mantra seems to not sink in, it's because you're not convincing yourself. And that could be because you haven't really let yourself ask "Can I do this?"
When I first read the article that explained the benefits of asking yourself "Can I?" rather than just telling yourself "I can," it felt all wrong. At first glance this advice seems to go against everything we've been told about motivation and positive visualization. Believe it and you can do it, right?
The thing is, you CAN do it. (Unless you're about to try flying off a building using only your arms or something like that, in which case losing confidence and wimping out would be for the best.) In order to get yourself to believe it, you'll have to be realistic... about the fact that what you're going for is entirely possible.
Summing up: chances are, your goals are 100% possible, intimidating as they may be. Possible = you can do it. So don't be afraid to ask yourself.
-Brigitte
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Comments
D.P Friday, June 04, 2010
I like how many of your articles are backed up with credible scientific articles. It makes the message much more powerful
:D
Andreas Monday, June 07, 2010
Pretty good post.I've tried asking myself, "Will I do this?" and I'm much more motivated to get it done. Science is beautiful.