Silencing Your Inner Critic: How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Unleash Your True Potential

We all have that little voice in our head—the one that likes to whisper things like, "You're not good enough," "You'll never pull that off," or my personal favorite, "What were you thinking?" We've all been there, right? It’s tough trying to silence that inner critic. But here's the twist: instead of trying to push it away, what if you gave it a voice?

Sounds strange, but bear with me. In order to deal with your inner critic, you need to bring it out into the light. Name it, give it a personality. Once you do, you’ll start to see it for what it really is—just an annoying voice trying to hold you back.

So, how do you start drawing out this gremlin of yours?

The first step is noticing when it pipes up. Is it when you're stepping outside your comfort zone? When you're feeling a bit unsure? Or maybe when you're second-guessing yourself?

Once you recognize those moments, the next move is to give your gremlin a voice. You can literally name it and say what it’s telling you out loud, or write it down in a journal.

Then, it's time to challenge it. When it tells you, "You're not good enough," remind yourself of the times you've proved it wrong. When it says, "You'll never manage that," think back to everything you've accomplished that once seemed impossible. And when it throws out, "What were you thinking?"—sometimes, sure, we all need that reminder so we don’t repeat our mistakes, but don't let it hold you back.

At the end of the day:

By drawing your inner critic out, naming it, and giving it a face, you take away its power.

You see it for what it really is—just a pesky gremlin trying to keep you from reaching your potential.

So next time your gremlin starts yapping, call it out. Remind it who’s really in charge. You’ve got this!