Want to improve your personal performance? Positive self-talk can help.

Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your life ahead even faster, offers the following advice.

What you say can and will be held against you, so make it work for you by putting a positive spin on everything you can. Your mind listens to what you say and goes along with whatever you say, accepting it as the truth and acting accordingly. If you talk positively about a project you are working on you mind will work to align its thought processes along that way, making the whole thing easier.

Here are some specific examples of the way to use positive self-talk. Instead of saying I failed because I did x wrong, say next time I will do Y. This focuses on you doing it right next time, reinforces the lesson learned and builds your morale. Another suggestion is instead of saying I dont know when asked something you can answer, say I am going to find out. This motivates you to find the answer and builds positive expectations about the outcome. The word "yet" can turn your life around in a similar way.If you haven't solved a problem, say I haven't done it "yet". This creates the expectation you will solve it and increases the odds that you will.