Why positive self-talk is a valuable career skill.

A positive attitude is shaped by positive self-talk and focusing on the things you can do something about.

The good news about self-talk is that it is entirely within your control. No one can make you talk negatively to yourself – only you. So, given that choice, keep reminding yourself that changing the way you talk to yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do to face obstacles and challenges with a far greater chance of success.

When faced with problems or setbacks, there is no point dwelling on the past or on what others have done. Rather focus on what you can do to get things to turn out
well. Successful people realise that, no matter what happens to them or around them, they can find a way to take charge of how they tackle the things that really matter.

A good question to ask yourself when faced with adversity is simply this: “What is there about the issue that I can do something about?” It then makes good sense to focus your thoughts and your efforts on those things. Often, you will be surprised how some of the things you were concerned about but
chose not to put your focus on start resolving themselves.

Many people, when they encounter a stumbling block or an obstacle in their path, become discouraged and quit. But highly successful people know how to turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones.

So, when faced with an obstacle, rather than telling yourself “My luck! This always happens to me”, or “I knew I couldn’t do this” or “My fault again”, replace these negative thoughts with more useful self-talk like “It’s a challenge but I’ll get over this”, or “I’ve faced bigger challenges in the past and found a way through”, or “This is not great but it will pass and I’m not going to let it spoil all the things that are going well for me”.

What’s your self-talk like right now? Could it be more positive?