Four Tips To Receive Feedback

Sometimes feedback can stop you and hold you back from going after your goals in life.  Someone says something that makes you second guess and question what you’ve been working towards.  Self doubt creeps in and the next thing you know, your goals have fallen to the wayside, never to be achieved.  You cannot let feedback prevent you from achieving your goals and living your dream life.  Use the following four tips to help you receive feedback.

Determine The Source

The first tip in receiving feedback is to determine the source.  Look at who is giving you the feedback.  If it’s someone who has achieved what you are working towards, then this is a reputable source.  This person should have some good insights for you that you can take into consideration.  Your friends and family will also give you feedback.  However, this feedback may be unsolicited.  Their own fears, self doubts, and worries may come out because they are simply trying to protect you.  They don’t want you to get hurt emotionally if you struggle to achieve your goal.  But, that disbelief only fosters more negativity in your own mind.  So, before you accept any feedback, determine the source of where it’s coming from in order to make sure it’s reputable and worthwhile for you to consider.

Type Of Feedback

Then, take a look at the type of feedback you are given.  Some feedback may be very difficult to hear.  Again, take a look at the source and see if it’s truly something you need to work on.  If you hear this feedback come up repeatedly, see this as a sign that it is definitely something you need to address.  Of course, you love to hear positive feedback, but if you really want to learn and grow, you’ll have to accept some constructive criticism.  This feedback is only meant to help you improve and be better.  Take a look at the type of feedback you’re given and decide if it’s something you should pay attention to or disregard entirely.

Seek Out Feedback

Next, sometimes you need to seek out and directly ask for feedback.  The only way to improve is if you know what you need to work on.  Sometimes you’re too close to the task at hand to see it for yourself.  Ask those you trust and respect to provide you with some feedback.  Find someone who has achieved what you’re working towards to ask them for feedback and advice.  Sometimes people are outspoken and sometimes people keep what they are thinking to themselves.  Open up the conversation to receive feedback by letting other people know it’s important to you to hear feedback so you know how to improve and become better.  People are not mind readers so it may be necessary for you to seek out the necessary feedback.

Receive Feedback

Lastly, receiving feedback can be hard to swallow sometimes but realize it will make you a better person.  You’ve already got the first few tips to determine if the feedback is worthwhile and something you need to pay attention to.  But, while receiving feedback, you can’t always be on the defensive.  If you constantly disregard feedback and have blinders on to do things your way and only your way, you’ll easily push people away who will avoid giving you feedback.  Be open to receiving feedback and see it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and become better.  When you view feedback as a positive rather than a negative, you’ll be more accepting and less likely to get emotionally attached to the feedback you receive.  Do your best to set your emotions aside while you review the previous tips above.  Sometimes you need to let feedback roll off your back and other times you need to suck it up and accept it as the honest truth.  That can be hard to do but so important if you want to break through your boundaries and live life to your full potential.  Be the person who can receive feedback.

Use these four tips to help you receive feedback.  First, determine the source of who is giving you the feedback so that you know if it’s something you should pay attention to or disregard.  Then, take a look at the type of feedback you received.  Decide if it’s helpful and constructive or negative and fear based.  Next, seek out feedback from reputable sources.  Lastly, view receiving feedback as a way to improve and become better.  Using these four tips will help you receive feedback better in the future.