Have you ever considered thinking a little bit more about your inner critic? No? Most of us avoid our inner critics. When we write something or do something that has taken so much time and effort we often want it to just be right. Even though we have that inner voice nagging at us saying “You know this would be better if…?” or “You should be doing this!”, we choose to ignore it because it means more time and effort and often re-doing and re-writing the work we have already done.
Face it, your inner critic is usually right. Your inner critic knows her shit! So, even though it feels like a lot of effort and extra work, listening to your inner critic when she does speak may actually save you time.
So, now that we have established that even though we don’t like our inner critics all that much, we should listen to them. And, secretly we do like them. Our inner critics help us grow.
If you’ve never given this much thought to your inner critic I want you to stop and do so now. I want you to imagine your inner critic. Is it male or female? Give it a name, a face, a full personality. If you can, find a figurine or picture (you can even draw one) to keep close by to remind you that your inner critic is always looking over your work.
So, I have a quick exercise for you to complete. Answer these few questions to help you discover your inner critic and let it help you write more, write better, write smarter.
Is your inner critic male or female?
Mine is Female.
What is his/her name and how does he/she look?
My inner critic’s name is Chat Noir, which is french for black cat. She has yellow eyes and watches over me write.
What’s your critics story? What kind of person is your critic?
I fell in love with a french cabaret club called Le Chat Noir and bought a postcard of the famous original cabaret bar, which they sell all over Montmartre, Paris. I stuck this postcard above my desk and decided that this cat is my inner critic. She has eyes that seem to look deep into your soul. She doesn’t look very approving, which reminds me that I can do better when I am lazy. I also feel that cats see everything. They lurk in the dark and around every corner. So there is no escaping her. She keeps me on my toes.
So, what is your inner critic like? This simple exercise has helped me so much and I am now more conscious of what my inner critic thinks. My inner critic helps me to always try better myself and my writing. Because of this, I’m always giving just a little bit more of myself and by giving more I’m kept slightly out of my comfort zone at all times.
I also find that this inner critic idea helps so much in business. The moment I start to procrastinate, I feel she is watching me. When I stray from what I should be doing her beady eyes are there reminding me that I will never achieve what I want to achieve if I’m not working on it now. There is a reason I am sitting at my desk and she reminds me why that is.
I have learned to love my evil looking, beady-eyed critic and you should love yours too. Too often we are scared of our inner critics and that is wrong. You are better than your inner critic but your inner critic should always be there to push you and to remind you to keep going and to keep checking up on yourself.
So, I ask you today? What is your inner critics’ name? Leave a comment or tweet me.
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