"Men Are Their Own Biggest Critic & Sometimes For No Good Reason"...

In my world, it's not uncommon for men to be overly critical of their own behavior and habits when it comes to their performance as both a family man and a business owner. The truth is, from my perspective, this often stems from a misalignment between their actions and the goals they truly care about.

Today, we will delve into the reasons behind this self-criticism and explore the importance of aligning behaviors with specific goals. Let's break free from unnecessary self-doubt and discover how focusing on the right activities and habits can lead to success in the areas that matter most.

Men have a tendency to give themselves a hard time, even when they are engaging in behaviors that are genuinely beneficial. A new client of mine recently shared his frustration about his lower-than-desired client retention rate, despite having a clear understanding of his accounts. He felt that his clarity on numbers was irrelevant and that he was doing a poor job of selling the benefits of his retainer package.

I encouraged my client to avoid mixing good habits with self-critical thoughts. It's important to resist the urge to muddy your positive habits with negative self-self talk. Instead, acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses separately, without bundling them into a single "not good enough" assessment.

I broke it down like this:

Strengths:

• You have a handle on your accounts, something many business owners struggle with.
• You were able to identify areas of improvement from the numbers.
• You now have a specific focus to work on that will significantly impact your business.
• You have the ability to be smarter with your time.

These strengths have nothing to do with the following weaknesses:

Weaknesses:

• You are currently not resigning clients at the rate you desire.
• There is a skill gap, particularly in your ability to communicate the value of your retainer program.
• This vulnerability is costing you heavily.
• There is an opportunity cost that needs to be addressed.

I am not one to pretend that everything is sunshine and rainbows. In fact I believe that toxic positivity is prevalent within the entrepreneurial community and can keep business owners blind to the real issues that do not be addressed. However, it's also important to avoid warping your reality to the point where you believe you can do nothing right by ignoring the good that you are doing.

Let go of unnecessary self-criticism and choose instead to see your strengths and weaknesses for what they are.

I am rooting for you!

Craig