WHAT DOES YOUR BACKGROUND NOISE SOUND LIKE?

We all hear voices in our head. Some of us more than others. (Count me as one!) But our self-talk can sometimes prevent us from starting and/or finishing our most important goals, projects, or tasks. We are defeated before we even begin, reminiscing past failed attempts and hundreds of reasons why we can't do something. What does your background noise sound like?

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/Parasto.Taffazoli

Professional athletes are taught to use self-talk and imagery to master their athletic skills. Many of them spend more time talking themselves through a process than talking to coaches and other players. So how do we master the domain of the brain?

Here is a few tips:

- Appreciate yourself for being unique

- Remember The Little Engine That Could: "I think I can, I think I can..."

- Be honest with yourself, it's the person you have to trust the most in life.

- Acknowledge the negative thought and then focus on positive progress

- Remember progress is incremental. Sometimes you are climbing high while other times you are plateauing.

- Learn to block out negative influences, i.e. friends, family, social media, and other outlets

What can you add to this list to help others become their best in 2012?