It is easy to let your inner critic run amok, and that little monster sure does have some nasty things to say! But these things are usually untrue or way out of proportion. It’s time to take a moment to appreciate yourself and put your inner critic in her place.
- Talk Back! – Your inner critic can say all kinds of things from “I’m not good enough” to “this a failure waiting to happen,” but is your inner critic really louder than you are? If she is, she shouldn’t be! Speak up for yourself! If your inner critic says “you can’t,” say “I can.” It is important to replace the harsh, critical thoughts in your head with accurate statements. It’s probably not a “failure waiting to happen.” It’s more likely to be a “risk worth the reward.” Tell yourself the truth and show that critic who is boss!
- Improve – Sometimes, the things our inner critics have to say can be mild, true thoughts. Maybe you’re not very good at something, and your critic is constantly reminding you of this. If you aren’t good at something, improve! Work at whatever it is. Your critic might be able to say that you aren’t good at something, but she can’t say that you aren’t trying!
- Visualize – Think of something you hate, a bug, a gross color, your annoying next door neighbor, whatever works for you! Now, imagine that your critic is that thing. If a bug walked up to you and started talking down to you, you would probably stamp that out. (Literally!) Do the same thing to your inner critic.
- Regret is worse than failure – You will never be better if you don’t do anything, and that is exactly what your inner critic is doing! She is stopping you from getting out there and doing whatever you want to do. Who cares if you make a fool of yourself or look a little silly once in a while? Get out there, have fun, and if you slip a little along the way, get back up and go for it again.
- Take a deep breath – If the little voice in your head is having a field day, it’s probably because you’re nervous about something. Take a deep breath and relax. There are worse things than a few bumps in the road. If you don’t live your life, no one else will!
More often than not, your own worst enemy is yourself. Push down that voice in your head and go make use of all that great potential you have! Go succeed!
