As someone who has spent years working in the high-performance space with athletes, C-suite executives and emerging leaders, I am constantly amazed at how little skill, technique, experience and intelligence are connected to human performance.

Time, and time again, I have been shocked when the best and brightest of my clients who are overflowing with potential or have a litany of past successes become overwhelmed by the insidious influence of negative thinking.

Research corroborates what I've witnessed firsthand: negative thinking is a formidable barrier to success. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that individuals who engaged in negative self-talk experienced decreased motivation, diminished confidence and impaired decision-making abilities.

The good news is that negative thinking is not insurmountable.

You can disrupt the cycle of negativity and unleash your inner high performer.

Here are four actionable steps to help you get started:

• Cultivate Self-Awareness: The first step in overcoming negative thinking is to recognize it. Pay attention to the thoughts that occupy your mind. Are you constantly dwelling on past failures? Do you catastrophize future scenarios? If you struggle to notice your negative thoughts, you can look to your body for clues: your gaze drops to the floor, slumped shoulders or even a slight flaring of your nostrils (disgust). Noticing your internal dialogue, allows you to challenge and reframe negative thoughts before they take hold.

Exercise Hack:  Use the notes section on your phone and put a little dash every time you have a negative thought about yourself. How many are there at the end of the day? Is there a pattern around certain people or environments?

• Practice Cognitive Restructuring (Thought Stopping): Once you've identified your negative thought patterns, it's time to rewire your brain for success. Cognitive restructuring involves replacing destructive thoughts with more positive and empowering alternatives. For example, when you notice yourself fixating on potential pitfalls, remind yourself of your strengths and past achievements. “I can do hard things.” Still doubting yourself, counter your catastrophic prediction with some facts. How likely are these horrible things going to happen? Still worried, spend a little extra time or delegate for a Plan B, then let that fear go! By consciously reframing your perspective, you can cultivate a mindset of resilience and optimism.
• Harness the Power of Affirmations: Affirmations are powerful tools for reprogramming your subconscious mind and bolstering your self-belief. Create a list of affirmations that resonate with you and recite them daily with conviction. Mine are short and easy to remember: a) I am the Captain of my Ship & the Master of my Fate; b) Nobody Outworks Me, and c) I Can Learn Anything. You’ll notice they all rest on my shoulders and encourage movement in the right direction. Whether you're affirming your capabilities, resilience or worthiness of success, repetition is key to embedding these positive messages into your psyche. Over time, you'll find that your inner dialogue shifts from one of doubt to one of confidence and possibility. 

Exercise Hack: Write in the notes section of your phone three affirmations that are in DIRECT response to your negative talk. For example, if your talk is about how bad you are at math, your affirmation is: I can learn anything when I keep trying.

• Let Go of Being Perfect. Who are you comparing yourself to? I have often challenged players who only want to take perfect shots on goal or are beating themselves up for not scoring to take careful stats of games of the best professional athletes to ever play that position. They are usually surprised to find that even the very best in the world miss shots and make mistakes. When we recognize this, we take more shots accepting that not every move we make needs to be revolutionary. When we let go of being perfect, we can quiet the inner negative voice that is always trying to beat us up over our mistakes.

In the high-stakes world of sports, negative self-talk can be the difference between victory and defeat. But make no mistake, its impact is just as profound in the workplace. Whether you’ve just gotten that big promotion, are tackling a challenging project or leading a new team, the relentless barrage of negative thinking is a formidable adversary that can undermine your performance and sabotage your success in the workplace. It can keep you from putting your hand up in a meeting to share an idea, keep you from putting your name forward for a promotion or team lead position, or actually cause you to walk away from your dreams. However, by cultivating self-awareness, practicing cognitive restructuring, and harnessing the power of affirmations, you can break free from its grip and unleash your full potential.

Take control of your mind rather than let it control you.

#YOUGOTTHIS