Among the most effective ways to do this are visualization and affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements about yourself that you repeat over and over in your head until they’re programmed into your subconscious.

Visualization, or “imagineering” as Walt Disney called it, is mentally picturing yourself the way you want to be. You’ve heard the old saying “I’ll believe it when I see it”? Well, the reverse is also true: “I’ll see it when I believe it!” Affirmations and visualizations may not feel true at first. They may not even be true! But they can become so.

Consider what happens when you tell yourself over and over, “I’m lousy at remembering names.” There will never be any improvement there. So if you catch yourself saying, “I’m terrible at remembering names,” stop and immediately say to yourself, “I’m good at remembering names.”

Or consider the effect of telling yourself, “I’m feeling pretty good today.” Or “I can lose ten pounds.” Or “I am good at getting people to see things my way.” Anything you say to yourself over and over will actually influence your reality.

Writing down your affirmations in some handy place-above your desk, on your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car-will help keep them in mind as well as in sight. Use affirmations and visualizations to project what success will feel like and look like. Imagine, in as much detail as you possibly can, how you feel as the boss singles you out for exceeding your quota, or how the audience hangs on your every word during your speech, or how your confident presence causes heads to turn everywhere you go.