Affirmations for purpose and work
For work, focus and the bigger question of where you're going. Some help you start, some help you finish, and some are for the evening when you need to hear that what you did today counts.
24 affirmations: 8 thoughts, each in a gentle, steady and bold version. Updated
What are good purpose affirmations?
Good purpose affirmations are short and believable, for example "I'm good at what I do", "I'm finding my way, one step at a time", and "I start, and the rest follows". Say two or three of them out loud, five to ten times each, once a day. If a bold wording feels false, start with the gentle version.
Which version should you say?
Start here if kind words about yourself feel hard to believe.
Plain statements for when the gentle ones already feel true.
For when you believe it and want to say it like you mean it.
- I'm getting better at what I do
- I don't have to have it all figured out
- I can start before I feel ready
- What I do matters to someone
- I'm allowed to be a beginner
- I can give this my attention for a while
- What I did today counts
- I can begin again
- I'm good at what I do
- I'm finding my way, one step at a time
- I start, and the rest follows
- My work matters
- I learn quickly
- I give my full attention to one thing
- I did enough today
- It's not too late for me
- I'm very good at what I do
- I know where I'm going
- I finish what I start
- I make a difference
- I can learn anything I set my mind to
- When I focus, I do great work
- I'm proud of the work I do
- My best work is still ahead of me
Say one out loud now
The free affirmation counter listens in your browser and counts each time you say it.
Why these are worded this way
Feeling lost and feeling behind tend to arrive together. The gentle versions here give you permission first ("I don't have to have it all figured out"), and the strong ones are for when you're ready to commit to a direction.
How to practise them
- Choose two or three from the list above. Fewer is better than many said half-heartedly.
- Say each one out loud, slowly, five to ten times. Hearing your own voice is part of it.
- Do it at the same time each day, like after brushing your teeth or on your walk to work.
- When a sentence starts to feel natural, switch to its stronger version.
Read more: How Many Times Should You Repeat Affirmations a Day?, Do Affirmations Work? An Honest Look at the Research
Questions
How do I use these affirmations?
Pick two or three that feel true, or nearly true. Say each one out loud five to ten times, slowly, once a day. Morning works well because it sets the tone, but any regular time is fine. Start with the gentle wording if the bold one feels like a lie.
Why are there three versions of each affirmation?
A statement you don't believe can make you feel worse, especially when your self-esteem is low. The gentle version is believable on a hard day, the steady one is a plain statement, and the bold one is for when you're ready. Move up when the current one feels natural.
Is it better to say affirmations out loud?
Saying words out loud helps you remember them better than reading them silently, an effect psychologists call the production effect. It also keeps your attention on the words instead of drifting.
How long until affirmations work?
There's no fixed number of days. Habit research found that a daily behaviour took a median of 66 days to feel automatic. Most people notice the words feel more natural after a few weeks of daily practice.
Let your phone keep count
Mantrify is an iPhone app that reads each affirmation to you, listens while you say it and counts every repetition, so you can practise with your eyes closed. Coming soon.