Success Advice
5 Ways To Trick Your Inner Critic
Let’s talk about the oppression of our minds. How our minds end up screwing everything up, when we don’t want it to.
In my own life, I know that my worst foe is my inner critic. Maybe you’ve dealt with this inner critic. This voice that seems to pop up out of nowhere, all of a sudden you feel like you’re on fire, and BOOM!
You burst, and you don’t know what happened.
What is this inner critic? Well, it’s really just your ego trying to protect you from something that it’s not sure about. Anything that you do that is a little beyond your comfort zone is the perfect opportunity for that inner critic to creep in.
These unconscious tapes are playing over and over again in your mind like a tape recorder. A lot of people will tell you, “Oh, just ignore it!” Yeah, well how does that work, right?
How do you just ignore it? It’s not possible. For instance, my inner critic used to come up most when I was auditioning for big musicals in NYC. I’d get in the room and start shaking. Pretty embarrassing!
Why? I was trying to ignore the inner critic. I was trying to ignore the nerves. Nope. Doesn’t work. Those nerves are real, it’s how you use them that counts.
The second thing that doesn’t work, is trying to fight it. Trying to beat it out by saying, “Oh, no. I’m not nervous. No, I’m not nervous. I’m not nervous!!!!!”
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare
Think of a bird trapped in a cage. If it wants to get out, it’s going to rattle that cage more and more and more. Sometimes you just have to open up the cage and let the bird out.
So, how do we do that?
Well, we have to give it a new brain! We have to give this inner critic a new way of thinking. This critic in your brain needs a new pattern.
You have to interrupt the brain, put something else in, and change the way that your inner critic sounds. Instead of drinking the gasoline of negative self talk and lighting yourself on fire, I want you to light your inner critic on fire so you can live your light.
I’m going to give you 5 ways to bust through this inner critic, and they get a little more fun as you go.
1. Observe your thoughts
The first one comes from the Buddhists, and they always say to watch your thoughts as if they are clouds passing by.
Now that’s great, but it’s also really hard; especially if you’re in this high pressure cooker situation where you can’t passively watch your thoughts go by, right? You have big things to accomplish. And often they have to be done quick and well.
Here’s another way…
2. Connect to the present
Come back to the present moment. Say, “I’m here.” Just come back. Come back to the now. These thoughts are taking you out of the present moment so you don’t know where you are anymore. Once you get untangled from your mind, you’re more free to think clearly.
If that doesn’t work, which sometimes it doesn’t…
3. Slow your phrase down
Normally, there’s a phrase that’s coming up for your inner critic. Mine is normally, “I’m not ready. I’m not ready. I’m not ready.” Eight percent of the time this phrase is really fast.
Think about your phrase right now. Say it in your head. It’s probably really fast, right? That gives your body a certain neurological response- so slowwwwww it down. “I’m (big pause) Not (bigger pause) Ready (biggest pause).”
It sounds kind of funny, right? It will make you laugh. That’s the point! That starts tripping up the wiring in your brain. It’s like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. Why are we going slow all of a sudden?”
Now if that doesn’t work…
4. Give it a funny voice
What’s your favorite cartoon character? Let’s say it’s Mickey Mouse. So put on your best falsetto, “Hey folks! I’m not ready!” That will really crack you up if you’re a guy! Again, you’re tripping up the brain.
Finally, if that doesn’t work…
5. Break your state
Do something ridiculous! Break your physical pattern, somehow. Maybe you jump up and down and start screaming, “I’m amazing! I’m amazing! I’m amazing! Yeah!” Something like that!
“Our greatest foes, and whom we must chiefly combat are within.” – Cervantes
So there you have it, 5 ways to bust through your inner critic. This is really important because I want to see you do those things that you’re meant to do. The main thing holding us back is this voice inside of our heads that produces fear.
Anything is achievable if you really put your mind to it, but only if your mind doesn’t put you to it.
So, my questions for you are:
1.) How does this inner critic show up in your life?
2.) How is this inner critic holding you back?
3.) Which technique can you try to light fire to that inner critic?
Let me know in the comments below. Live your love and spread your light.
Success Advice
How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements
Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.
Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.
There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.
Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.
Embed the strength of AI and ML.
AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.
Bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.
ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses.
In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.
Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities
Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased.
Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information.
Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place.
In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.
Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development
You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.
You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.
Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.
Developing key skills to achieve goals
Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.
Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.
Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.
Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.
Development/Coding Knowledge
Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.
Hacking proof framework
There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.
Communication Abilities/Soft Skills
Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:
Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.
Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.
Agile Implementations
It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.
- Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds.
- Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
- Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
- Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them.
- Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.
- Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
- Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
- Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.
Success Advice
Understanding the Power of Yes and No: How to Create Boundaries For Success
These words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds
The two smallest yet most powerful words in life, “Yes” and “No,” have a big impact on our growth on both personal and professional levels. In addition to affecting the choices we make every day, these words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds. (more…)
Motivation
From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone
By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality
Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato? Do you want to transform your life and become a go-getter? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with motivation, but the good news is that change is possible. (more…)
Success Advice
10 Micro Financial Habits for More Wealth and Peace of Mind
The World Economic Forum still reports that half of U.S. adults lack financial literacy
You’ve heard about developing financial habits, but what about micro-financial habits? Micro habits are the tiny things you can do every day with minimal effort that, together, transform your future. (more…)
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