Four Steps To Overcome Your Negative Inner Critic

Your negative inner critic often tells you all the fears, worries, and doubts that keep you paralyzed from taking action towards your goal.  Yet, if you truly want to experience life, you must learn to have the courage to quiet your inner critic and take action anyway.  Your goals and dreams won’t wait forever.  It’s time to overcome that negative inner critic that’s been holding you back so that you can go after your goals and dreams in life!

Finding Balance

You can’t expect to achieve your goals and dreams if you never actually go after what you truly want in life.  The key is to find a balance between consciously thinking something through and following your heart.  In both cases, you have to watch for your inner critic.  Start with a blank piece of paper and draw a line down the middle.  Write down the pros of your goal on one side and the cons on the other side.  If you realize most of the cons are based in fear from your inner critic, then you know it’s time to embrace your fear and get yourself into action. 

Take Action

Taking action is the next step.  Take one small step towards your goal and see how it feels.  Most likely, you’ll hear your inner critic say what are you thinking, should you really be doing this, are you crazy, etc.  Again, pay attention to if this is all fear based.  Whenever you step outside your comfort zone and do something you’ve never done before, you’ll hear your inner critic speak up.  Your inner critic just wants to keep you safe.  The key is to say thank you for being here but that you can make decisions and take it from here.  Your inner critic should not be making the decisions as to whether or not you go after your goals and dreams in life.

Your Why

Next, you must remind yourself what you’re going after.  Think about what achieving your goal and dream will mean to you.  Consider how it may change your life for the better.  Remember to keep pushing yourself to move forward despite your inner critic.  You don’t want to remain stagnant in the same spot forever.  Going after your goals and dreams allows you to learn and grow as a human being.  It’s part of the overall life experience.  Don’t let your inner critics fear, worry, or doubt stop you and prevent you from living life to your full potential.

Be Courageous

Lastly, think about what your younger self would have done in this situation.  When you had less fear, worry, and doubt, ask yourself what action steps you would have taken.  The voice of your inner critic was so quiet when you were younger.  You didn’t have negative past experiences that are currently making the voice of your inner critic loud.  Back then, you were excited about the future and anything was possible.  When your inner critic speaks up now, you have to be courageous and take the leap knowing it’s all worked out.  Sure, you may have experienced some bumps and bruises along the away, but these are all moments to learn.  You’ve made it this far in life and you’ll continue to learn and grow along the way.  But, only if you’re courageous enough to continue pursuing your goals and dreams regardless of the fear, worry, and doubt from your inner critic.

You can overcome your negative inner critic by first breaking down your goal into a pros and cons list.  Notice if your cons are reasonable or if it’s just your inner critic trying to keep you stuck.  Next, take a small action step towards your goal.  Watch for your inner critic and keep going if you’re fearful of trying something new.  Then, remind yourself what it will mean when you turn your dreams into a reality.  Lastly, tap into the courage from the younger version of you who didn’t let fear, worry or doubt hold you back.  Your inner critic just wants to keep you safe but your goals and dreams are right outside your comfort zone.  Be courageous and take action even when your negative inner critic speaks up.