As the saying goes, “you are your own worst enemy,” and this is especially true for women in the working world. This type of thinking is what tends to hold women back from realizing the type of career success they want and deserve. We’ll take a look at five ways women can confidently take on future opportunities in their careers by simply silencing their inner critics once and for all.
(Photo Credit: kris krug/Flickr)
You know those scenes in movies where an actor is forced to make a decision that causes great dissonance and his voice of reason comes in the form of a devil and an angel on his shoulders bantering back and forth? Well, your inner critic is much like a little devil on your shoulder and he’s not only ruining your confidence, but your career success too. Here’s how you can switch your inner dialogue from a limitation into an inspiration.
1. You’re perfectly imperfect.
From the wise words of Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Don’t allow your insecurities and imperfections to get the best of you, because it can greatly (and gravely) affect your chances of achieving great things in life. Therefore, instead of getting down about your not-so-perfect self, realize that your flaws are what make you unique. Being different can be your greatest asset. Would Picasso be so revered if his pieces of art were like every other artists’ work? Absolutely not. Because his style of painting was so unique, Picasso’s works are considered, not merely paintings, but masterpieces.
2. ‘I’m a survivor. I’m not gon’ give up.’
If you believe that you’re fighting a losing battle — which is usually what your inner critic is trying to convince you — then you’re bound to lose. However, you didn’t get this far in life by giving up, right? It’s time to switch your survival mode on and overcome whatever nonsense that little voice is trying to tell you. The next time your inner critic tries to mentally boot you off the island, channel your inner goddess (who is, obviously, Destiny’s Child and/or Beyonce) and repeat after me, “I’m a survivor. I’m not gon’ give up. I’m not gon’ stop. I’m gon’ work harder.”
3. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Consider that, for example’s sake, your inner critic is an actual person who is bullying someone you love and you’re watching from the sidelines. Would you put up with the disrespectful and damaging remarks being spewed out by the bully? We’re going to guess, no. So, then, why do you allow your inner critic to do that very same thing to you? Put your bully in his/her place and begin experiencing life free of irrational fears and doubts that have held you back in your life and your career. Go get ’em, tiger!
4. Innocent until proven guilty.
Ask yourself, “Am I really guilty of what my inner critic is saying?” If you are, then it’s time to make some changes, which is a whole other post entirely. If you aren’t, then why are you convincing yourself of these false truths? We all are guilty of allowing our insecurities take over from time to time and prevent us from taking certain risks. However, when holding back starts becoming the norm and begins to interfere with the progression of your career, then that’s when changes need to be made (and STAT!). The only thing you’re guilty of is allowing negative, irrational thoughts hinder your true potential. Therefore, when the self-doubt starts at it again and tries its best to beat you down, check yourself before you wreck yourself.
5. Name game.
As ridiculous as this sounds, give your inner critic an amusing nickname that makes you chuckle, like “Amanda Hugginkiss.” (That Bart Simpson was a clever little lad, wasn’t he? See a full list of his prank call names, here.) Would you be able to keep a straight face if the person trying to criticize you had a name like Maya Buttreeks? Probably not. Add a bit of humor to the negativity and, hopefully, it’ll allow you to see the brighter side of things.
Prove your inner critic wrong and silence the noise, because you have too many important things to accomplish in life. We’ll leave you with the wise words of T. Harv Eker, “Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.”
Tell Us What You Think
How do you hush your inner critic up when you she starts at it again? Share your pearls of wisdom with our community on Twitter and contribute to the conversation.
Leave a Reply