Every successful person faces disappointment. Whether it’s being passed over for a promotion, receiving harsh feedback, or losing a contract to a competitor, setbacks happen. But so many of us feel deflated by these mishaps, often because we believe they mean we’re incapable or flawed.
Unfortunately, negative self-talk can sabotage the one thing every successful person needs to try again: motivation. As a behavioral design expert and the author of “Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Extraordinary Results,” I’ve seen how motivation drives human behavior, and how our beliefs influence it.
Beliefs peppered with self-criticism can tank motivation, but turning negative self-talk into more positive language can fuel tenacity.
Highly successful see challenges as opportunities instead of setbacks. Here are five phrases they use to stay motivated.
This phrase reframes a fixed limitation as a temporary state. Remember that every successful person struggles to solve a problem or learn something new; it’s part of the growth process.
