Notes on keeping a journal · · 7 min read
Present-tense affirmations and wishes: where the rule comes from and what psychology says
Why you are told to write wishes as if they already came true, what research actually says about it, and present tense affirmations examples that don't set off an inner 'that's a lie'.
- present tense affirmations
- present tense affirmations examples
- wishes in present tense
- affirmations
- wish journal
"Write your wishes in the present tense, as if they already came true." The advice shows up in every second guide to wish journals and almost nowhere says where it came from. "I live in a house by the sea" instead of "I want a house by the sea". "I earn this much" instead of "I want to earn more".
How to write present tense affirmations, with examples, is below, but first the fair question: does it work? Short answer: there is no direct evidence that present tense beats future tense. Below: where the rule comes from, what turns up in the research, and how to write if you like the rule anyway.
Why are wishes written in the present tense?
Not from science. The habit of wording a goal as if it were already achieved comes from esoteric "law of attraction" literature, from positive-thinking books, and from the coaching tradition that picked it up. The logic goes: the subconscious can't tell "will be" from "is", so say that it already is and it will start working for you.
Nothing in that logic is testable. I could not find a study that asked one group to write goals in present tense and another in future, then compared who got more done. If you meet a citation for such a study, check it against the original: most of the time it is about something adjacent.
What does psychology say about present-tense wishes?
The closest thing is the work on fantasies. In 2002 Gabriele Oettingen and Doris Mayer compared positive expectations (how much I believe it will work) with positive fantasies (picturing it as already done). Expectations went with more effort and success. Fantasies did not: they predicted less effort.
A wish written in present tense is in effect a written fantasy. In 2011 Heather Kappes and Oettingen described how positive fantasies about idealized futures sap energy. Does that mean present tense is harmful? No, the experiments don't show that: participants were asked to imagine, not to keep a journal. But the risk is clear. If an entry says "I'm already there" and there is not a single step between "there" and "now", it can pleasantly change nothing. How to add an obstacle and a first step to a wish is covered in our breakdown of the wish journal.
Positive expectations predicted effort and success; positive fantasies predicted less effort and less success.
Which motivates more: "I will" or "Will I?"
One experiment cuts against the rule. In 2010 Ibrahim Senay, Dolores Albarracín and Kenji Noguchi had participants prepare for a task by asking themselves "Will I work on anagrams?" or by declaring "I will work on anagrams". Those who asked went on to solve more. In later experiments it was enough to write "Will I" instead of "I will" in a seemingly unrelated handwriting task: afterwards anagram performance was better and intentions to exercise were stronger. The authors explain it through intrinsic motivation: a question draws out your own reasons to act, an order does not.
Caveats: these are experiments with English "Will I / I will", with anagrams and short-term intentions. You cannot carry them over literally to "I want to be happy". As a working idea they are fine: if a statement sounds false, turn it into a question.
How to write present tense affirmations without lying to yourself
A familiar state: you write "I confidently speak English", and somewhere inside a voice remarks "sure you do". That voice is not your mistake. It is a normal reaction to a statement that does not match reality right now, and suppressing it is pointless. Better to reword so there is nothing to argue with.
Three moves:
- An action instead of a state. Not "I am wealthy" but "on Friday I look at my spending". An action can be done this week, and it is true.
- A process instead of a result. "I am learning" and "I am heading toward" don't lie, because they describe what is happening.
- A question if the statement grates. "What will I do today to get closer to...?"
If you really want present tense, keep it for what is already true, and add "already" to real steps. That way you are not deceiving yourself.
Present tense affirmations examples: usual and softer versions
| Usually written | Softer version |
|---|---|
| I earn $10,000 a month | Every Friday I check what I earned and write one action for next week |
| I speak fluent English | I speak English for ten minutes a day, and today one phrase is already said out loud |
| I am healthy and full of energy | Today I walk to the end of the street and back |
| I am in a loving relationship | I am learning to say what I want, and today I will say one such sentence |
| I am writing a book | What will I write today, even if it is a paragraph? |
| I have a wonderful job | I pick the two things about this job I want to change and look at openings |
Notice that the softer version nearly always gains a day, a number or an action. It is the "if-then" from Oettingen's method, just written more simply.
How to test whether it works for you
With no direct data, check it against one wish of your own. Write it twice: in present tense and in a softer version from the table. Read one version each morning for three days, then the other for three more. Every evening ask yourself not for a grade but for a single question: was there at least one step toward the wish today? If there are more steps after present tense, use it. If after the soft one, that one suits you. A sample of one person, but the only sample you need.
Should you write wishes in the present tense?
In short: present tense guarantees nothing, and it is not forbidden either. If it gives you a sense that the goal has come closer, use it, just not while sitting inside the picture. Put next to it something you can do in the coming week. If it scratches, write in the future tense or as a question. There is no research showing one grammar beating the other.
Whether statements about yourself work at all is a separate piece: do affirmations work. And if you want to look at yourself from the future rather than pretend in the present tense, here is a letter to your future self.
FAQ
How do you write wishes in the present tense?
Write what is already true or can become true today: an action ("on Friday I check my spending"), a process ("I am learning") or a question. If a line triggers an inner "that's not true", soften it.
Do present tense affirmations work?
There is no direct evidence: I could not find a study comparing present tense with future tense. What is known is that positive fantasies without steps predicted less effort (Oettingen & Mayer, 2002).
Can I write wishes in the future tense?
Yes. In Senay and colleagues' experiment, asking "Will I?" motivated more than declaring "I will", so future tense and questions are no worse.
What if an inner voice says it's a lie?
Don't argue with it. Reword the line so there is nothing to argue with: an action, a process or a question.
Sources
- Oettingen, G., Mayer, D. The motivating function of thinking about the future: Expectations versus fantasies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(5), 1198–1212, American Psychological Association (2002)
- Kappes, H. B., Oettingen, G. Positive fantasies about idealized futures sap energy. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(4), 719–729, Elsevier (2011)
- Senay, I., Albarracín, D., Noguchi, K. Motivating Goal-Directed Behavior Through Introspective Self-Talk: The Role of the Interrogative Form of Simple Future Tense. Psychological Science, 21(4), 499–504, SAGE (2010)