Your Inner Critic.

You know her. If you’re like me, you know her too well.

She’s the sneaky voice in your head that gets louder every time you’re about to stretch yourself creatively, vulnerably, or step outside the familiar safety line of your comfort zone.

And, she’s got friends — she teams up with Resistance and Limiting Beliefs to keep you “safe” in a scary world.

They say things like:

“You don’t have what it takes to do this.”

“You’re so far behind everyone else.”

“You don’t have enough skills, or money, or time, or resources to do what you want.”

“You don’t have anything unique or special to say; someone else already said it.”

“You’re not good enough.”

Well, that’s just downright rude isn’t it?! Rude, and also very hurtful.

Anytime you tap into your creativity and show up in the world, this tricky trio show up with their bad girl capes on, ready to wreak havoc on your creative life. If left unchecked, their voices plant a pattern of toxic thoughts in your mind. They paralyse you with self-doubt and fear, and stop you from showing up the way you’re truly meant to.

And we NEED you to show up. We need your unique blend of experiences, ideas, and creativity.

You need to move forward as your wonderful, creative badass self — what do you do?! HALP!

First, two important things to recognise —

accept that your Inner Critic is going to show up.
If you’re creative, take risks, or try new things — know that your Inner Critic is along for the ride. Nothing’s wrong with you. It means you’re doing something thrilling and scary and amazing.

you don’t have to pick up what your Inner Critic is puttin’ down.
Yes, these thoughts are powerful — but perhaps even more powerful is the fact that you don’t HAVE to believe them as truth. You can choose which thoughts you subscribe to.

The next time your Inner Critic tries to take your mind hostage, do these four things:

01 - be curious.

What does your Inner Critic’s voice sound like? What story do you start to tell yourself? Write it all down. When those thoughts are triggered, check in with yourself and notice how you feel, the reaction in your body. Take some deep breaths, show yourself some love, and ask: do I want to subscribe to this thought?

02 - connect to your anchor.
I shared about finding your anchor — what really matters to you and keeps you steady when things get tough or confusing. Remind yourself why you’re doing said scary, creatively vulnerable thing. Hold your dream and your purpose in your heart so you can return to it, time after time. Let that give you strength that propels you to keep going.

03 - move from scarcity into abundance.
The Limiting Beliefs your Inner Critic wants you to hear come from a mindset of scarcity. Flip the script. You ARE enough. You have enough and know enough to get started right now. Yes, others are out there, but there’s NO ONE painted with the same colors as you, and there’s space for you in the world. Shift those scarcity “I don’t have” and “I’m not” thoughts into “I have” and “I am” abundance thoughts.

04 - do something.
Thoughts grow and spiral out of control because you feed them. You can cut off their life source. Redirect the energy you’re supplying to those toxic thoughts into action. Change your scenery — get off the couch, off the floor, out of the bed, and physically move yourself to a new space. Go for a walk. Read a book. Phone a friend. Engage your mind in a different way. Dance parties work wonders. Crank up those 90’s hip-hop tunes, and bust a move.

Unlocking your mindset and learning to manage your Inner Critic takes work. It’s uncomfortable. It’s something you have to do with focus and intentionality every single day. If you want to get that dream, business, or project off the ground, reach your people, and live your creative purpose — it’s the most important thing you can do.

Your one, precious, beautiful, creatively fulfilled life waits on the other side. And that is SO worth it.

I faced off with my Inner Critic this week, big time; she worked overtime to bring me down. Tears and everything. But I got curious with myself, connected with my anchor, shifted into abundance thoughts, and took action (I went for a walk and wrote a second draft of this blog post actually!). Working on my mindset is the single most important thing I’ve done for my business and creative life.

Every moment you talk back to your Inner Critic is a huge win. Each time, you get wiser to her schemes. And each time you emerge more determined, resilient, and creatively charged.