The 4 Voices of Self-Talk That Get in Your Way

…and what you can do to quiet them down.

When it comes to engaging in the kinds of self-talk that gunk up your path, let me be crystal clear – EVERYBODY DOES IT.

We may vary in frequency and intensity, but no one is immune.

That’s really the goal here – to decrease the frequency and intensity of these confidence, opportunity and productivity thieves. (We’ll get to that part in a moment.)

First, you need to recognize them when them when you see them:

The Analyzer: Thinking about past circumstances over and over in an attempt to “figure things out.”

The Blamer: When fear or other strong emotions are present, the Blamer can show up and point a finger, assigning fault. (Pay close attention to this one – blaming yourself can be just as harmful as blaming others.)

The Catastrophizer: When “what if” becomes a runaway train that’s miles away from the current scenario, you know that the Catastrophizer is at the helm.

The Driller: The most insidious of the bunch, the Driller makes you feel like you’re just being prepared by planning/practicing for any and every possible scenario that may unfold in your future.

This Week:
What to do when Ms. A,B,C or D show up to the party…

Name her. Let her know you see her there.
Get curious. Why is she here? (No judgement please, just objective curiosity.)
Reframe to the present by asking yourself the question, “what would I be doing about this right now if she weren’t here?”

REMEMBER: These voices are a normal part of being human. By practicing the three steps above, you can lessen the frequency and intensity of their appearances, making them far less likely to get in your way.