As I’m SURE you know…

We held the What Really Makes Money Virtual Summit recently.

It involved me and Heloise sharing a version of our business model that can now be run by AI Wizards so that anyone could do the same!

But it wasn’t just the two of us speaking.

We also invited a selection of guests to share their own strategies and methods for making money.

One of them was Robin Banks (yes, that his real name!), a motivational speaker.

Now, this guy was a bit – shall we say – ‘Marmite’.

He was super-confident, bouncy and in-your-face.

Which does tend to split the crowd…. certainly in the UK.

Our American friends love the shouty, clappy, happy HELL YEAH stuff.

But on this rainy little island we tend towards meekness, pessimism, and self-effacement.

We have a natural resistance to anything we consider to be ‘showing off’… and we curdle at anything which is too exuberantly positive.

Which is why I’m sure some people watching Robin grimaced a bit…

And I know there were some attendees who’d have preferred a milder motivational speaker.

But for those who ‘got it’, well, they loved it!

Those who follow his techniques get brilliant results, too.

His ultimate secret is a powerful, proven psychological technique for re-writing your brain.

It just takes a bit of getting used to (especially if you’re of a timid disposition).

And it goes like this…

“I’m a TIGER… Raaarrrgh!!!!”

Robin explained that long before he became successful, he used mantras known as ‘self-affirmations’ to condition his mind.

Before he was successful he would regularly say out loud,

“I am a top motivational speaker, successful throughout the world.”

He’d say this every day… week after week… month after month… year after year…

Using this psychological trick, Robin initially ‘became’ (at least, in his MIND) a world class motivation speaker even when he wasn’t actually one.

And then he kept going and going like that….

Until he was! First in his home country South Africa) and then as an in-demand speaker at conferences around the world.

Eventually he became the person he had conditioned himself to be.

In his summit presentation, Robin kept repeating this phrase while he was telling his backstory.

To be honest, the first few times were a bit annoying…

Then it became funny.

I don’t know if you remember but back in the 1990s Steve Coogan (of Alan Partridge fame) starred in a TV series called Coogan’s Run.

Each episode, he’d play a different character. And by far the best was ‘Dearth of a Salesman’, featuring the struggling sales rep, Gareth Cheeseman.

Before he goes on stage to present a pitch at a conference, he stands in front of a mirror, saying to himself, “You’re the best… you’re number one… you’re a TIGER…. RAAAAAARGH”.

Well that’s what Robin’s affirmations reminded me of.

And I’m sure others (Steve Coogan fans anyway!) felt the same.

But then something odd happened…

Robin’s repetition became weirdly hypnotic!

Suddenly, I could see how the repetition of this self-belief mantra, day after day, must have embedded itself in his consciousness… giving him the confidence to take action.

And I also know that – if you can overcome your embarrassment (or the urge to think about Gareth Cheeseman) this stuff actually works!

Because there’s science behind it…

The Power of Neuroplasticity

Researchers have shown that positive affirmations work by rewiring the brain through something called ‘neuroplasticity’.

This is where new neural pathways for positive thoughts are created to override negative ones, which eventually fizzle out.

Affirmations help increase positive neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. These activate your brain’s reward system, which increases your feelings of well-being when you think positively.

Doing this consistently activates your prefrontal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (or VMPFC for short), which are involved in positive self-valuation.

This can lead to greater confidence and a more optimistic mindset.

Studies also show that regular affirmations improve your ‘executive functioning’, helping you perform better at tasks under stress.

As a result, you become far more resilient to knock-backs – and much more confident about taking on challenges when they present themselves.

What’s not to like?!

The only drawback is that you have to overcome that classic British resistance to overtly positive speaking.

But bear this in mind…

You can say your affirmations IN SECRET!

Here’s how it’s done…

How to Create Your Own Affirmations

Your positive self-affirmations should be tailored to your particular problems and goals in life.

It might be that you’re shy, lacking in confidence or struggling with imposter syndrome…

It might be that you find it hard to focus, stay organised or find time to work…

Perhaps you are easily distracted, flit between projects and can’t seem to finish anything.

So your affirmations need to reverse those perceived flaws – and make you believe that you are, in fact, the OPPOSITE.

For example, “I am super-focussed on my business plan,” or “I am a confident person who’s not afraid to speak on camera and share their views.”

Or it could be that you have an ambition…

For instance, you might want to be a public speaker, write a book, start a digital publishing company. own a million pound house or retire early to travel the world.

Whatever it is, once you have a goal in mind, you need to write it down.

The key is to phrase it as if what you want is already a reality.

To do this, start with “I am” or “I have” and focus on the goal, rather than the problem.

Avoid negative words like “don’t,” “won’t,” or “can’t”.

And make sure it’s in the present tense… for example, “I am confident” instead of “I will be confident”.

The more specific you are, the more powerful the effect.

So instead of a general statement like “I am happy” you might try, “I am happy and excited that I am making money online from my own print-on-demand business.”

As well as writing them down, say your affirmations out loud – perhaps once in the morning and then again before bed.

It will sound silly at first, because part of you knows that your affirmation is not yet true…

But ignore those nagging thoughts and stick with it.

Like a method actor, you will start to identify with your positive mantra and begin to ACT like it’s true.

The idea is that, eventually, it WILL become true.

Got to be worth a try, right?

And remember, nobody needs to hear you utter these wilfully optimistic words.

Of course, if you’re willing to tell me about the brilliant results you get from this technique, I’d be all ears!