Wouldn't it be nice to create personal affirmations that play for you on your Echo any time of day and any day of the week?
It is so much easier than you might have expected, and it's fun. If you have an Echo, you can create a reminder with your voice, but it works so much better if you have the Alexa app. Typing in your reminder affirmation makes sure it comes out clearly, and on the exact time and interval, you had in mind. The first step is to come up with some affirmations.
There is much more to this simple little trick with the Alexa Echo
It is not only quick and easy to implement, but the impact on your attitude throughout your day will be so incredibly beneficial; I'm confident you will begin to experiment and design all sorts of uses for this unique affirmation technique. Below I will describe the best ways to program your affirmations in minutes. I will also share how they have impacted my life quickly.
Create a list of affirmations that work with Alexa
We need to create a list of affirmations, but there is a formula for making this work well on the Echo or other Alexa device. Short statements are always the best. It conveys the message in a quick and concise recording that catches your attention when you hear it back. Comments like “You can do this” or “Today is a new day,” although cliche, provide for a precisely timed and systematically appropriate energy and emotional boost when you hear them. You can create this list ahead of time to record them all at once or add them as you think of them one at a time.
How a little red book discovered this brilliant process
I am not sure how I even came about finding this gem, but the whole idea started when I saw the little red book. I think it was in a YouTube video that I watched during my morning routine. If you are a follower of Cognitive Momentum, you know we talk about the Law of Attraction and the power of thought focus. This book, called “It Works,” is more of a 28-page pamphlet that describes an approach to visualization by writing down a list of things and conditions you would like to see come into your life.
I purchased the book, did the exercise, and made it a part of my morning routine. It was working great, except the recipe called for reading the document three times a day at the very least. I would get it done first thing in the morning every day, but the other two installments suggested were always eluding me. I was at a loss as to how to remind myself. I looked down, and the answer appeared in the form of my Echo. I voice recorded a reminder with Alex every day at 12:00 noon, and 5:00 pm gave it the title of “It Works.” The next day, precisely at noon, Alexa Chimed in, “This is a reminder, It Works.”
Surprisingly, the announcement had a much more impactful effect than just alerting me to the task I wanted to execute. It was twofold. First of all, the mere mention of reviewing my list of aspirations was in and of itself uplifting, but the message was also a double entendre. When I heard Alexa, I immediately was reminded that reviewing the goal-driven sheet was a process that works. The experience compelled me to begin to think about other announcements I could record, which then led me to a slate of affirmations that expanded and encompassed my entire day, every hour, on the hour.
Make some of your affirmations personal
The best thing about setting these affirmations with Alexa is that you have complete autonomy in deciding what you want to broadcast to your psyche. You can design each saying to address you with your name or situations, aspirations, or emotional states you want to attain specific only to you. There are many Alexa daily motivation apps you can employ, but none of them can get as intimate and efficient as creating them yourself.
Creating affirmations in the Alexa App is the best way to go
If you have an Echo or similar device, you know you can auditorily name a particular reminder. When I built my first affirmation (unbeknownst to me that it was an affirmation), I did it auditorily. It worked fine; no pun intended, because it was simple and without challenging pronunciation. However, many times Alexa does not pick up on those two instances well, and you end up with a reminder that isn't precisely repeating itself the way you intended. Alexa will mispronounce a name or word or make a grammatical error, making a statement, name, or word sound awkward.
There is an easy fix for this. If you have the Alexa app, you can write the reminder statement you want to hear and make sure you get the correct grammar and pronunciation. To do this, you may have to spell things out phonetically and use proper punctuation. Believe it or not, Alexa responds to punctuation. For the most part, it pronounces everything correctly, but you may have a name or a word that needs you to instruct Alexa on how to pronounce it, even if your instruction is not following grammar rules. For instance, my nickname is Damo, short for Damian, but I have to spell it Daymo for Alexa to pronounce it correctly. It also pays attention to comma's so use them, and your statements will come out clear and the way you intended. If you record some of these things auditorily, Alexa won't always get it right.
There is also a slight problem with timing. Alexa doesn't always get the time right, and if you want to be specific like 10:32 am, it might take a few tries to get that exact time recognized. Typing it in will do it the first time and every time.
It is incredible what simple suggestion will get you to do
I am big on making to-do lists and tasking out the day. I love my morning routine and never go a day without it, even when I travel. However, even those practices fall short of what I am looking to create with Cognitive Momentum. I filter in to-do affirmations like the “It Works” reminder, which have a dual purpose, as I explained above. With this technique, I fill my day with fantastic motivation, totally disguised as simple suggestions that remind me what I am trying to accomplish throughout the day. It's hard to quantify the difference, but my production and overall attitude have taken quite a leap since I began this practice.
I believe in thought and how it shapes your attitude, which shapes your character, which shapes your actions. It is not a mystical power; in fact, it is no mystery how and why people, places, and things interact and affect your life. I don't sit around in Pollyanna style and hope for all my dreams to come true. However, I practice these techniques because it is amazing what occurs when you put yourself, your mind, and your spirit in the right alignment. An old sage once told me we are not stagnant beings either we grow or die. Ever since, I have decided to do whatever it takes to grow and leave the dying to others.
