As a personal development coach, I do a lot of talking about positive thinking, and I know very well how important it is in changing your habitual way of thinking (and the results you are getting in life). But real change requires more than positive thinking. It requires "extreme repetition."

I've spoken before about going 'beyond positive thinking" and many people have emailed to ask about the best methods of staying in a positive state of mind, and how they can best help the process along.

One method that is very effective is to use affirmation programs that shift your state of mind and provide you with massive amounts of positive suggestion and commands. These definitely make a difference--I've used one for over ywo years now with great results.

The two most popular of these programs are Mindzoom, and Affirmware's Sculptor 3, both of which are great programs (I personally use Sculptor 3, but Mindzoom has it's fans too).

The real benefit of these programs is that they provide you with a relentless repetition of the "right" messages. The key word in that last sentence is "repetition," because that's what it's all about--relentless repetition.

Imagine being exposed to positive, affirming messages one day a week, and then back to the same of negative stuff the rest of the week. How much good is that really going to do you? Probably not much. Of course, it is better than nothing, but you're certainly not going to get the dramatic results you want.

Now imagine being exposed to positive, affirming messages six days a week, and the old negative crap only one day a week. Do you think your state of mind is going to be much, much better? Do you think your self-esteem and confidence would increase substantially? I guarantee you it will. "Repetition is the mother of all skill,"as the old saying goes. And it is just as true wityh posotve thinking as it is with riding a bike.

"What we are exposed to on a consistent basis is what we become."

Ever wonder why most criminals come out of prison worse than when they went in? Think about what they are exposed to on a consistent basis. It's common sense really: whatever you are are exposed to with extreme repetition WILL influence your life. The more repetition, the more influence it will have on you.

Take advantage of any and all positive information you can: software programs, positive books, audios, seminars, and of course, be around as many positive people as you can.

Remember, extreme repetition is how people change. Use every resource you can to get the "right ideas" into your head, and then repeat them relentlessly. If you use affirmations, repeat those relentlessly too. At a certain point, all this positive information will overwhelm your old, critical voice, and it'll fade away into the sunset.