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Imagine Michael and Monica, two students preparing for their exams. Michael inspire himself by repeatedly referring to himself ‘You can do this’. Monica, on the other hand, uses the term ‘I can do it’ to inspire herself.

Everything else being equal, who do you think would perform better on the exam?

Research conducted by Professor Ethan Kross at the University of Michigan shows that people who talk to themselves using “you” perform better than those who talk to themselves as ‘I’ or ‘me’. This happens because the talking to yourself as ‘YOU’ creates a psychological distance, making the message more effective.

So next time, when preparing for a task, tell yourself ‘You can do it’. This will improve your confidence in no time.