The Power of Positive Thinking

“I feel like I never get anything finished,” said a recent client in Montreal, who had hired me as a professional organizer. In addition to optimizing the efficiency of her living space, I suggested that she create and use an affirmation, such as: I get things done efficiently and expediently. My client liked the idea.

We put a few signs up in her apartment—on the kitchen fridge, on her bathroom mirror, and in her bedroom.

I explained that, in order for an affirmation to really make a difference, you need to repeat it to yourself until it becomes part of your conscious thinking. In order of effectiveness, you can think about an affirmation, you can read it, and you can write it as you say it aloud.

I’ve been successfully using affirmations for the last 29 years or so, ever since I took a course called "We Are What we Think." When I took this course, I was single, and very much looking to find my basherter—that's Yiddish for soulmate. I created an affirmation and visualized it, and I'm happy to say that my honey and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last September! I am a big believer in the power of affirmations.

Nathan Bellow wrote a highly acclaimed book entitled The Power of Affirmations: Improve the Quality of Your Life By Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind. This book has many enthusiastic reviews on Amazon and I am planning to buy it as a refresher.

Affirmations should be concise, written in the present tense, and stated in positive terms. In terms of eating, for example, it would not be helpful to say, "I will not binge eat." Rather, it should be reworded into something positive: "I eat healthily and mindfully."

With regard to decluttering, one could use the following affirmation:

We are easily letting go of things we don’t need or use. Another helpful tool is to visualize the space as you would like it to be.

Other personal affirmations I have found helpful over the years:

I am calm and loving at all times.

I go with the flow of life in a calm and relaxed manner.

I have helped friends, family, and clients (literally) create life-changing affirmations. Why not give it a try? Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about affirmations, and of course, if you’d like some help decluttering, downsizing, or organizing.