[Beyond Borders]

^ Yeah, this is an over 3-4 minute recording about becoming more organized (but it comes across more as productivity to me). It's in my own voice, and I think that makes it a lot more powerful (as well as the fact that it's outloud). I can send you the script if you want to record it for yourself. I just did it in my phone's little recording app, and I turn it on first thing when I get up in the morning.

I'm currently writing some more on other topics and am going to see how that goes. So far, the organization one has had some mind-blowing results. Way more value than I've ever gotten out of simple affirmations.

It's actually reprogramming my mind to defeat a problem that has at times been debilititating for nearly a decade (if not at least an issue my whole life on some level), and I plan to do it about three weeks to a month and then pull it out for brush ups from time to time. I plan to write a lot more about the experience after I've seen more long-term results.

I do use more simple affirmations with success for focus during workouts and have been doing that a long time. Before my sets, particularly challenging ones, I take some centering breaths and I say in my head, "I'm self-disciplined, focused, and passionate. I'm an elite physical athlete."

During my reps I often say to myself, especially as I near the last few, "Every rep creates me." That means a lot of things to me on different levels. I made a youtube video about this.

I'm also expirementing with financial affirmations in my morning ritual (a la Scott Adams).

One more thing I've expiremented with is what the guy in the "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself" book calls "situational self-talk." I actually started on this after listening to Psycho-cybernetics, but it's essentially the same technique described in both books and will also sound familiar to anyone following the Albert Ellis stuff too.

One example is that in Pyscho-Cybernetics, they talk about when you have a thought that is unproductive, you instantly say "delete" or "cancel" in your head. It's a way to keep guiding your mind back on track the way you want it to go. You don't have to elaborate on the command to yourself because you've already decided what it means.

The delete command really works for me, but I've also put my own spin on the technique (as they urge you to). This is one I use every time I catch myself beating up on myself up about things or when I fall short of my own standards or fail myself at something. Or when I think of something I did or said in the past (or present) that I regret.

It's very simple. Every time I do something I take a quick moment to allow for that imperfection by simply saying in my head, "That's okay." Shitty workout at the gym - that's okay. Memory of some fucked up thing I did that really hurt someone in the past. That's okay. Suddenly dwelling on all things I could have done and never did. That's okay.

It's not excusing me to repeat these things but it's a refusal to get hung up on them. With two quick words I remind myself I'm imperfect just like anyone and reframe my thinking, diverting my attention towards becoming the man I want to be instead of dwelling on the man that I wasn't.

However, this particular "brain command," if you will, seems to have even more power in another type of scenario. Namely, when something outside of my control happens that would normally upset me or test my patience. Someone being late. Wifi blackout. Some asshole making a shitty remark in passing. I drop something and break it. Some dude is laying on his horn while I'm walking down the street. I'm sure you could imagine a hundred more daily irritants.

Normally situations I might let add up and stress me out over a day's time or get me on the wrong track.

But I find that if something is bugging me, I stop myself from letting angry thoughts run off track, say "that's okay," in my head, and move on. Obviously I've done nothing to measure the effect, but so far it seems to have had a huge effect on improving my moods throughout the day.