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

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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• How that "realistic" voice is actually just recycled fears and outdated programming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!

💌 Get exclusive overwhelm solutions and productivity strategies for entrepreneurs straight to your inbox - sign up now! https://cindygordon.myflodesk.com/countmein

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

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
you know the voice in your headthat pipes up right when you're
about to try something new.
The one that says, who do youthink you are?
Or maybe it says, you are notqualified for this.
Or perhaps it says everyone'sgoing to see right through you.
Yeah.
That voice we all have one, andespecially as a small business
owner, it's probably workingovertime.

(00:22):
Here's the thing, though, thatinner critic isn't trying to
protect you.
It's actually one of the biggestobstacles standing between you
and the success that you'reworking towards.
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, thecreator of the Reality Check
Method, and a business coach foroverwhelmed entrepreneurs.
I've built and sold multipledigital businesses, and I've

(00:42):
coached others through the exactchallenge that you might be
facing right now.
Learning to quiet that criticalinner voice that undermines your
progress.
And today I am sharing themindset shift that helped me
stop letting my inner critic runthe show in my business.
If you want more information onturning self-criticism into
confidence, plus weeklyproductivity tips that over 1400

(01:06):
entrepreneurs use to staymotivated and on track.
Yet on my email list, the linkis in the show notes.
I only send these strategies tomy email subscribers and they
are not available anywhere else,so let me guess.
This is what's happening in yourbusiness journey.
You have amazing ideas andgenuine ambitions for your

(01:27):
business, but every time you'reabout to take a big step.
Maybe launch that program, raiseyour prices, or just simply put
yourself out there.
This voice starts chatteringaway about all the ways you're
going to fail.
Maybe it tells you you're notexperienced enough, or that
successful entrepreneurs havesomething that you don't.

(01:49):
Maybe it points out mistakesthat you've made as evidence
that you should never try again,or maybe it's a little more
subtle.
It just makes you second guessyourself until you talk yourself
out of those new opportunities.
I see this pattern a lot.
You are not lacking skills orideas.
You are just battling aninternal narrative that's

(02:10):
designed to keep you small andsafe.
Your inner critic has convincedyou that it's being helpful by
pointing out reality, but it'sjust recycling old fears.
And limitations.
The truth is that your innercritic isn't based upon facts
about your capabilities.
It's based upon outdatedprogramming that doesn't serve

(02:31):
you any more.
The psychology behind this ispretty straightforward.
Your inner critic is developedas a protective mechanism,
usually when you are prettyyoung.
It's learned to scan forpotential rejection, failure or
criticism from others, and thenit tries to prevent those things
by talking you out of takingrisks.

(02:51):
But here's where it getsinteresting.
That voice that once protectedyou from playground rejection is
now trying to protect you frombusiness growth.
It can't tell the differencebetween the risk of being
laughed at in third grade.
Or the risk of launching a newprogram as an adult to your
inner critic.
These are the same threat level.

(03:13):
So add this to your businessreality.
You're constantly puttingyourself out there, making
decisions without guarantees andfacing rejection as part of the
process for someone with anactive inner critic.
Entrepreneurship can feel likeyou are walking through a
minefield of potentialcriticism.
Your brain is literally tryingto keep you safe by keeping you

(03:35):
small, but safety and growthrarely happen at the same time.
The key is learning to recognizewhen your inner critic is
driving the bus versus when youare making decisions from a
place of genuine wisdom.
here's how to stop letting thatcritical voice run your business
decisions the first thing youneed to do is catch it in the

(03:56):
act.
Most of the time that voice isso automatic you don't even
notice that it's running theshow.
Start paying attention to thestories that you tell yourself.
When you are considering newopportunities, ask yourself, is
this thought helping me moveforward?
Or is it holding me back?
Is this thought encouraginggrowth or preventing it?

(04:18):
Usually you'll recognize thatthe voice claiming to be
realistic is actually justscared.
Once you notice the criticalvoice, dig a little bit deeper.
Ask yourself, where did I learnthis belief?
Is this something that somebodytold me about myself?
Or is this based on actualevidence about my current
capabilities?
Most inner critic messages arehand-me-downs from people who

(04:42):
had their own fears andlimitations.
You don't have to keep caringbeliefs that were never yours to
begin with.
Instead of fighting the innercritic, which usually makes it
louder, acknowledge it, butdon't let it drive.
When it says you are notqualified, you can say, thank
you for wanting to keep me safe,but I'm choosing to learn as I
go when it says everyone willjudge you.

(05:04):
You can say, I appreciate theconcern, but I'm focusing on
serving people and notimpressing them.
You are not pretending that thisinner critical voice doesn't
exist.
You're just not letting it makeyour decisions, and here is the
crucial part.
You have to take action anyway.
The goal isn't to silence yourinner critic completely because

(05:26):
it's probably not realistic.
It's to act despite itsprotests.
Every time you move forward,while that little voice is
objecting, you prove to yourselfthat those thoughts aren't facts
and fear doesn't get to chooseyour future.
So let's break this down alittle bit further, and I wanna
show you how to make this innerwork translate into actual

(05:48):
business results.
First, start collecting evidencethat contradicts your inner
critic.
Keep a simple list of your wins,positive feedback.
And progress you've made alongthe way your inner critic
survives on selective memory.
It remembers every mistake, butconveniently forgets every
success, so fight back withdata.

(06:10):
Second, surround yourself withpeople who see your potential
rather than your limitations.
Your inner critic gets strongerwhen you're isolated and weaker
when you're connected tosupportive people.
This doesn't mean avoiding allfeedback.
It means choosing the voicesthat challenge you to grow
rather than the voices thatconfirm your fears.

(06:31):
Third, take action.
Despite that critical voice,confidence isn't the absence of
self-doubt.
It's the willingness to moveforward while doubt is still
there.
Every time you take action, yourinner critic is protesting you.
Prove to yourself that the voicedoesn't control your choices.
Here's what I want you toremember from today.

(06:53):
Your inner critic isn't evidenceof low self-esteem or personal
weakness.
It's just outdated softwarerunning in the background of
your mind.
The fact that you're building abusiness, despite that voice
shows incredible courage.
You just need to stop giving itso much decision making power.
You don't need to wait untilyour inner critic approves your

(07:14):
plans to take action.
The voice will probably neverthink you are ready for the next
level because its job is to keepyou where you are.
And your job is to grow.
Anyway.
The most successfulentrepreneurs I know didn't
silence their inner critics.
They just stopped takingbusiness advice from their
fears.

(07:34):
When you recognize that criticalvoice for what it really is, you
can finally start makingdecisions based upon your actual
capabilities and goals.
This approach to working withyour mindset is important
because when you stop lettingfear drive your business
decisions, you can finally buildthe company that you're actually
capable of creating.

(07:56):
If you want more strategies forbuilding unshakeable business
confidence, follow me atexclusively Cindy on Instagram.
Now, go make one businessdecision based upon your
potential instead of your fears.
And remember, you've got this.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If this was helpful, you'll lovemy weekly email tips where I
share the systems that keep meand hundreds of other
entrepreneurs on Track Link inthe show notes.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with

(08:34):
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively cindy.com.
Until next time, remember you'vegot this.