For affirmations to be effective they not only need to be written down, but placed in areas where you will see them. But just writing them down and seeing them, and reading them silently is not enough. You should say them out loud as well.

If you repeat your affirmations out loud, it will increase your rate of success. Like the Persian adage for prayer, you should repeat out loud your affirmations just after waking and just before sleeping.

Success in using affirmations not only depends on saying them out loud, but putting some emotion into them when you say them. You must become emotionally attached in your mind with your affirmations. Without emotional commitment to the affirmation it will be just a rote memorization exercise.

Make you affirmation brief and to the point.

Your conscious mind is speaking out loud to your subconscious mind. Be very clear on what it is you want. Keep you affirmations as positive statements of desire.

Your mind should be picturing or visualizing what it is your affirmation is stating. You live not in the past or the future but in the present. So visualize what you want as being presently attained, and make your affirmations in the present tense.

You should use affirmations over a period of time, say 3 or 4 months before deciding if they are working for you. That is, if you are a skeptic, but for those with Faith, be intent on believing your affirmation is working.

By the use of visualizations and affirmations based on those visualizations you can grow. Affirmations are strong emotional statements about what you believe is happening to you.

While many people make fun of the idea of affirmations being able to accomplish changes, they do, and they do so powerfully if used correctly.

Since whatever we allow our mind to focus on will take form eventually in our lives, be it positive or negative, don't you want the best positive outcome? Affirmations are part of the Key to success in your life changes.

Copyright 2007 by Ian RoeBuck Permission is granted by the author to reprint and use this article provided nothing is changed in the article, and that the author's bio box at bottom of this article is included.