On this journey of success, the daily practice adopted usually defines results. Among many strategies that top performers do in their respective industries, one of the most commonly used behaviours of top performers, but also a very important one, is practicing positive self-talk. This simple habit can shift mindsets, build confidence, and foster resilience, leading to greater accomplishments and personal growth.
Let us see for ourselves why positive self-talk is such a transforming trait, through examples, anecdotes, and quotations from Indian and international perspectives.
The Way of Positive Self-Talk
Positive self-talk is simply inner talk that runs inside our head on a continual basis throughout the day. Thoughts, affirmations, or even beliefs constitute the continuous saying to ourselves. Our self-talk can be constructive or destructive. In top performers, harnessing the power of positive self-talk becomes essential to maintaining motivation and pushing through challenges.
Focus on Things Within Your Control
The first powerful aspect of positive self-talk is a focus on that which you can control. Throughout life, there are always going to be many things out of your control: the weather, global events, the opinions of others. But one thing is consistent and always in your control, and that’s your response. Top performers center in on their response—your effort, your attitude.
Let me take the example of one of India’s most celebrated cricketers: Sachin Tendulkar. Injuries, slumps in form, and pressures that came from a cricket-crazy nation’s expectations marked the innings of Tendulkar during his illustrious career. But whenever faced with such an external pressure that seemed insurmountable to him, Tendulkar tried focusing on the aspects in the light of which he could practice training discipline and get himself mentally prepared for the match. It was on such controllable parameters that Tendulkar remained cool, meeting the ups and downs common in any professional sport.
To illustrate this internationally, one could refer to the case of Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time. It was exhausting training, and the pressure to perform at every event was huge, but his coach, Bob Bowman, always told him to control that which was within his scope: his swimming techniques, what he ate, and his mental approach.
Bowman expressed this once: “Whatever happens, if it’s out of our control, we can’t worry about it. We focus on our lane and what we have to do.” Phelps took that philosophy to heart, which helped him stay mentally strong even when he was facing setbacks.
Pivot Negative Thoughts to: “I Can…”
The second most important practice is to pivot negative thoughts into empowering ones. It’s so simple to slip into a downward spiral in the mind, particularly when one is feeling self-doubt or failing. However, top performers recognize that on cue and shift from “I can’t” into “I can.”
A strong example in this regard comes from the Indian context about PV Sindhu, the Indian badminton star. Before her last game, in the 2016 Olympic in Rio, she was to play an opponent she had lost several times before. Of course, she could easily think of all those previous losses. Rather, she consciously changed her inner speech onto one reflecting strengths and possibilities: “I can win this match” was how she kept telling herself, which helped her to play confidently and get a silver medal.
Think of Serena Williams, the international icon of tennis. Throughout her career, she has hardly been immune to adversity, from health issues to withering public criticism. Williams has recently said, in interviews, that she repeats the affirmations to herself: “I am strong, I am powerful, I can do anything.” This ability to shift her self-talk away from doubt and back to belief in herself has contributed to her remarkable longevity and success in one of the most competitive sports in the world.
Celebrate Your Strengths and Progress
A third essential component of positive self-talk is permitting one to acknowledge and celebrate one’s strengths and advances. The most successful performers know how to build themselves up, rather than tear themselves down. They keep themselves motivated and on the track of improvement through recognition of their capabilities and celebration of their milestones.
A very fine example of this comes from the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who is also an acclaimed scientist. Kalam spoke about the importance of celebrating small successes. In his autobiography Wings of Fire, he remembers how, even in the failure of the early years at India’s space program, he would acknowledge his team’s efforts and remind them of their strengths. His positive self-talk not only raised his team’s morale but also kept him motivated, too.
On the international scene, the late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, would always emphasize the importance of celebrating progress, no matter how small. After their first release of iPhone, Jobs would often parade his team and reflect on how far they had come, to celebrate the breakthroughs they’d attained. This practice of pausing to appreciate the progress, rather than getting consumed by what was yet to be done, fostered a culture of positive momentum within Apple.
The Tale of Two Wolves
A parable, popular among the masses for explaining the effect of self-talk emanates from Cherokee culture: A battle occurs inside every person between two wolves, explained an elder to his grandson. One wolf is negativity, anger, jealousy, and doubt. The other wolf is positivity—joy, peace, and confidence. The young lad asks, “Which wolf wins?” “The one you feed,” says the old man.
The wolf that we feed is our self-talk, which is with top performers. When we allow negative thoughts to dominate our minds, we allow ourselves to be crippled in doubt and fear. The converse of this is that by making a conscious choice to feed ourselves empowering thoughts, affirmations, and beliefs, we give ourselves the power to achieve greatness.
Quotes to Live By
Swami Vivekananda from India leaves us with this perennial wisdom: “Talk to yourself once in a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an excellent person in this world.” This quote underlines how important self-reflection and self-affirmation is to personal growth and empowerment. The same Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.” He thus gave the world a nice insight into how our beliefs shape our reality and the need for positive self-talk to undergird our goals in life.
Conclusion
Positive self-conceptivity is the major characteristic of high achievers because it orients our view towards ourselves and our capabilities. We can do this by shifting to what we can control, by reversing negative thoughts into productive ones, and by acknowledging our strengths. By doing so, we can unleash our potentials and continue moving forward with openness, even in the midst of adversity. Be it an athlete, a leader, an entrepreneur, or anyone who wants to build themselves up, positive self-talk will help fight any challenge and achieve success. As Swami Vivekananda has said, talking with yourself in the right way can change your life.
Learn more about how to become a Top Performer at: ORL Leadership Summit 2024.
Dr. Prahlada N.B
MBBS (JJMMC), MS (PGIMER, Chandigarh).
MBA (BITS, Pilani), MHA,
Executive Programme in Strategic Management (IIM, Lucknow)
Senior Management Programme in Healthcare Management (IIM, Kozhikode)
Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Leadership and Innovation (MIT, USA)
Advanced Certificate in AI for Digital Health and Imaging Program (IISc, Bengaluru).
Senior Professor and former Head,
Department of ENT-Head & Neck Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Cochlear Implant Surgery.
Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India.
My Vision: I don’t want to be a genius. I want to be a person with a bundle of experience.
My Mission: Help others achieve their life’s objectives in my presence or absence!
My Values: Creating value for others.
Leave a reply
Leave a reply