You're Your Own Biggest Critic - So Critique!
The words and phrases people always say tend to lose their depth and meaning with each repetition. In a world where we've reduced some of the best pieces of advice to graphic illustrations in an Instagram feed, it's important to reflect on their full meanings and personalities so we can continue to live by them - not just scroll past them.
"You're your own biggest critic."
At face value, this quote could lead you to believe that your personal critiques on your own work will come naturally. Go along in life, do what you're going to do and the constructive self-criticism will ensue. In reality, many things can get in the way of this criticism - stress, being too busy, focusing on other things, critiquing things that don't matter - and a laundry list of other distractions unique to your personal life.
The only way to benefit from your own constructive criticism is to reflect consciously.
Good news - this reflection process is simple and only requires mindfulness and remembering. The best time to reflect on your work is when it's fresh in your mind - at the end of each day. As you sign off, pack your stuff, use the restroom, take your leftovers out of the fridge and finish your end-of-day routine, think about these four things:
- What you did well today.
- What you accomplished or completed today.
- What was hard about today.
- What you could have done better today.
The most important question to prompt yourself with in each of these steps is, "How?"
What did you do well, and HOW did you do it?
What did you accomplish or complete, and HOW did you get to that final step?
What was hard about today, and HOW can you prevent facing that obstacle in the future?
What could you have done better, and HOW are you going to do so when faced with the same task?
Words are powerful and deep, and they can't always be reduced to a colorful graphic with a punny caption. Don't forget what words truly mean, no matter how many times you hear them. There's a reason some words seem tired and overused, but the way to revitalize them isn't with superimposed sparkles; it's to think deeper, reflect on them and let them guide you, the same way they have guided millions of people before they trickled down the grapevine to you.