215: Why Your Inner Critic Is Holding You Back (and How to Silence It)

Why Your Inner Critic Is Holding You Back (and How to Silence It)

Tired of that negative voice in your head sabotaging your business growth? Your inner critic isn't protecting you - it's keeping you small. In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, Cindy Gordon reveals why self-critical thoughts undermine entrepreneurial success and shares her Inner Critic Reset Method for turning self-doubt into self-confidence.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your inner critic developed as protection but now prevents business growth
• How that "realistic" voice is actually just recycled fears and outdated programming
• The difference between genuine wisdom and fear disguised as caution
• The Inner Critic Reset Method: Awareness reality check, source investigation, and confident reframing
• Why collecting evidence of your wins is crucial for silencing negative self-talk
• How to take action despite the critical voice (not because it's gone)

Perfect for: Female entrepreneurs struggling with self-doubt, business owners who second-guess their decisions, overwhelmed professionals whose inner critic undermines their confidence, and anyone ready to stop letting fear make their business decisions.

Episode Highlights: "Your inner critic isn't trying to protect you. It's actually one of the biggest obstacles standing between you and the business success you're working toward."

"Confidence isn't the absence of self-doubt - it's the willingness to move forward while the doubt is still there."

"The most successful entrepreneurs didn't silence their inner critics - they just stopped taking business advice from their fears."

Resources mentioned:

• The Reality Check Method
• Inner Critic Reset Method
• ExclusivelyCindy.com
• @exclusivelycindy

Stop letting your inner critic run your business. Start making decisions from confidence instead of fear.

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

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Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Transcript

0:00

you know the voice in your head that pipes up right when you're about to try something new. The one that says, who do you think you are? Or maybe it says, you are not qualified for this. Or perhaps it says everyone's going to see right through you. Yeah. That voice we all have one, and especially as a small business owner, it's probably working overtime. Here's the thing, though, that inner critic isn't trying to protect you. It's actually one of the biggest obstacles standing between you and the success that you're working towards. Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, the creator of the Reality Check Method, and a business coach for overwhelmed entrepreneurs. I've built and sold multiple digital businesses, and I've coached others through the exact challenge that you might be facing right now. Learning to quiet that critical inner voice that undermines your progress. And today I am sharing the mindset shift that helped me stop letting my inner critic run the show in my business. If you want more information on turning self-criticism into confidence, plus weekly productivity tips that over 1400 entrepreneurs use to stay motivated and on track. Yet on my email list, the link is in the show notes. I only send these strategies to my email subscribers and they are not available anywhere else, so let me guess. This is what's happening in your business journey. You have amazing ideas and genuine ambitions for your business, but every time you're about to take a big step. Maybe launch that program, raise your prices, or just simply put yourself out there. This voice starts chattering away about all the ways you're going to fail. Maybe it tells you you're not experienced enough, or that successful entrepreneurs have something that you don't. Maybe it points out mistakes that you've made as evidence that you should never try again, or maybe it's a little more subtle. It just makes you second guess yourself until you talk yourself out of those new opportunities. I see this pattern a lot. You are not lacking skills or ideas. You are just battling an internal narrative that's designed to keep you small and safe. Your inner critic has convinced you that it's being helpful by pointing out reality, but it's just recycling old fears. And limitations. The truth is that your inner critic isn't based upon facts about your capabilities. It's based upon outdated programming that doesn't serve you any more. The psychology behind this is pretty straightforward. Your inner critic is developed as a protective mechanism, usually when you are pretty young. It's learned to scan for potential rejection, failure or criticism from others, and then it tries to prevent those things by talking you out of taking risks. But here's where it gets interesting. That voice that once protected you from playground rejection is now trying to protect you from business growth. It can't tell the difference between the risk of being laughed at in third grade. Or the risk of launching a new program as an adult to your inner critic. These are the same threat level. So add this to your business reality. You're constantly putting yourself out there, making decisions without guarantees and facing rejection as part of the process for someone with an active inner critic. Entrepreneurship can feel like you are walking through a minefield of potential criticism. Your brain is literally trying to keep you safe by keeping you small, but safety and growth rarely happen at the same time. The key is learning to recognize when your inner critic is driving the bus versus when you are making decisions from a place of genuine wisdom. here's how to stop letting that critical voice run your business decisions the first thing you need to do is catch it in the act. Most of the time that voice is so automatic you don't even notice that it's running the show. Start paying attention to the stories that you tell yourself. When you are considering new opportunities, ask yourself, is this thought helping me move forward? Or is it holding me back? Is this thought encouraging growth or preventing it? Usually you'll recognize that the voice claiming to be realistic is actually just scared. Once you notice the critical voice, dig a little bit deeper. Ask yourself, where did I learn this belief? Is this something that somebody told me about myself? Or is this based on actual evidence about my current capabilities? Most inner critic messages are hand-me-downs from people who had their own fears and limitations. You don't have to keep caring beliefs that were never yours to begin with. Instead of fighting the inner critic, which usually makes it louder, acknowledge it, but don't let it drive. When it says you are not qualified, you can say, thank you for wanting to keep me safe, but I'm choosing to learn as I go when it says everyone will judge you. You can say, I appreciate the concern, but I'm focusing on serving people and not impressing them. You are not pretending that this inner critical voice doesn't exist. You're just not letting it make your decisions, and here is the crucial part. You have to take action anyway. The goal isn't to silence your inner critic completely because it's probably not realistic. It's to act despite its protests. Every time you move forward, while that little voice is objecting, you prove to yourself that those thoughts aren't facts and fear doesn't get to choose your future. So let's break this down a little bit further, and I wanna show you how to make this inner work translate into actual business results. First, start collecting evidence that contradicts your inner critic. Keep a simple list of your wins, positive feedback. And progress you've made along the way your inner critic survives on selective memory. It remembers every mistake, but conveniently forgets every success, so fight back with data. Second, surround yourself with people who see your potential rather than your limitations. Your inner critic gets stronger when you're isolated and weaker when you're connected to supportive people. This doesn't mean avoiding all feedback. It means choosing the voices that challenge you to grow rather than the voices that confirm your fears. Third, take action. Despite that critical voice, confidence isn't the absence of self-doubt. It's the willingness to move forward while doubt is still there. Every time you take action, your inner critic is protesting you. Prove to yourself that the voice doesn't control your choices. Here's what I want you to remember from today. Your inner critic isn't evidence of low self-esteem or personal weakness. It's just outdated software running in the background of your mind. The fact that you're building a business, despite that voice shows incredible courage. You just need to stop giving it so much decision making power. You don't need to wait until your inner critic approves your plans to take action. The voice will probably never think you are ready for the next level because its job is to keep you where you are. And your job is to grow. Anyway. The most successful entrepreneurs I know didn't silence their inner critics. They just stopped taking business advice from their fears. When you recognize that critical voice for what it really is, you can finally start making decisions based upon your actual capabilities and goals. This approach to working with your mindset is important because when you stop letting fear drive your business decisions, you can finally build the company that you're actually capable of creating. If you want more strategies for building unshakeable business confidence, follow me at exclusively Cindy on Instagram. Now, go make one business decision based upon your potential instead of your fears. And remember, you've got this.

Speaker 2: 8:12

Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today. Remember, overwhelm isn't permanent. It's simply your brain's way of saying pause and take a little reality check. If this was helpful, you'll love my weekly email tips where I share the systems that keep me and hundreds of other entrepreneurs on Track Link in the show notes. If you got value in today's episode, please share it with another entrepreneur who needs that reminder. If you're loving the show, I'd be so grateful if you could leave me a quick review. It helps other overwhelmed entrepreneurs find us. Make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss your weekly dose of clarity. For more resources and to connect with me, visit exclusively cindy.com. Until next time, remember you've got this.