Noah St. John teaches afformations, a technique using questions instead of affirmations to shift your mindset about money. He contrasts why-to versus how-to solutions and emphasizes finding deeper purpose and working with a coach who acts as a loving mirror.
What is it you really, really want? Do you think everybody here could hammer a nail into a wall? Do you think you could put a nail into a wall if you had to? Yes. Who thinks they could do that? Okay, so I want everybody to hold up your hand and hold up your nail, right? Hold up your nail. Everybody do that. Hold up your nail. Now we're going to put that nail into the wall. Ready? All right, I'm going to— I'm going to get ready. 1, 2, 3, and here's the tool to use it. Okay? What's the problem? Come on. Go ahead. Put that— keep your nail up. Come on. Put that nail in the wall. What's the problem? The what? It's the wrong tool. But wait, I was able to do it. I mean, come on, I put it in. So what? There must be something wrong with you, right? What? It's the wrong— well, wait, get motivated. Come on, think positive. Set your goals. You can do it. Here, I'm coaching you. Do you get this right now? Am I saying anything wrong? No, I'm actually being kind of nice. But what's the problem? It's the wrong tool. Well, all right, I'll tell you what. I know that tool didn't work for you. How about this one? How's that? That didn't work? All right, how about that one? No? It's just the same tool with different colors on it, different packaging, right? That's all we've been given are the how-tos of success. So the fact is, I want you to write this down. The fact is that you can never solve a why-to problem with a how-to solution. I want you to write that down and circle that. You can never solve a why-to problem with a how-to solution. It is exactly like trying to put a nail into a wall using a chainsaw. You can be as motivated and smart and cute and funny as you want, but you're just using the wrong tool. I want you to look at what you wrote at the very beginning when I asked you what you really, really want. What is it you really, really want? I want to be happy. Do you realize that that's your end zone? That's your end zone. But here's what I'm going to tell you. That's probably about the 30-yard line. You have an end zone that is so much greater than you think that you think you can do it. So every one of us needs that coach. Everyone needs that loving mirror. We all need that loving mirror. And highly successful people already have it. And I want each one of you to have it too. Thank you. I just want you to remember to seize the moments of your life because you never know when the next one will be here. I'm Noah St. John. It's been a privilege. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
