Why not create a spittoon for your inner critic?
Dear Stella, I want to write like you. But I just sound so stiff and boring. What do I do?
Right now, your marketing doesn’t really sound like you, does it?
And maybe, until you and I started hanging out together, you didn’t even know that your marketing COULD sound like you. And sell like hotcakes. But more than that: that it was even POSSIBLE to write marketing that was INSPIRING.
It is possible, you know.
But if that’s the path you intend to walk, be prepared.
Be prepared for the voices that tell you: “You suck at this.”
“This is no good.”
“You sound like a self-serving jerk.”
“You’ll never get this right.”
These voices are your inner critics. And they’ve come to tinkle in your punch bowl. (Are you going to let them get away with that?!)
Lately, my students have been sharing what their inner critics say to them. And man, they’re a nasty lot. Snarky. Belittling. Cruel. (The inner critics, I mean. My clients are utterly lovely, every last one of them.)
And I just felt so sad when I heard this.
Because I realized that inner critics have been holding many of us hostage for far too long.
No one talks about this when they teach you how to promote your business. It’s all technique. No lessons in “what to do when your inner critic flares up and makes you feel like the bottom of your shoe.”
Well, let’s change that. Shall we?
Why not create a spittoon for your inner critic? A little jar will do nicely. Right on your desk. When you hear a voice that says “I can’t” or “this sucks” or “I’m miserable,” when you write your newsletter or sit down to crank out your next flier, write that down on a piece of paper, put it in your jar and say “Thank you. Farewell. And now I do my work.” Then do something else for 10 minutes to clear your mood. It can also be nice to do something like toss them into the fireplace, bury them, or dump ‘em down the garbage disposal.
Just a thought. Don’t let your inner critics keep you from spreading the word about the good work you do. Or your business.
Many thanks to Bahi P for the flickr Photostream of the spittoon.
Posted December 20, 2011 at 5:03 pm | Permalink
Stella,
Thank you for the wonderful words of wisdom you share with us, your wit and your humor. For me, this has been the year of getting out of my box, my own way and removing every boundary I ever placed on myself. I have become my own personal superwoman, public speaking, tv interviews, radio interviews and making a difference in the community. Now if I could just convey my heart and my rather wise crack attitude into words on a page to make some very big things happen for the Gallatin Valley…
I am learning.
Thank you again for being there for us who are, let’s say, less than passionate on paper. =)
Merry Christmas
Posted December 20, 2011 at 10:26 pm | Permalink
Amber,
Yeeha! So glad to hear you’re a woman on mission… and showing up, again and again, in bigger and bigger ways. But I’m guessing you’re selling yourself short on the writing thing. Didn’t I get a hilarious email from you about Dierks Bentley?
Anyway, keep up the good work and keep on shining, girl.
xo
Stel