Challenge: Negative Self-Talk

If I were your coach, this would be one of your assignments.

CHALLENGE: Negative self-talk.

That saboteur voice in your head that says:
“You should’ve done more.”
“Why can’t you get it right?”
“Everyone else is handling it better.”

WHY IT MATTERS:

Your brain is wired to notice what is wrong, what is not working.
Repeatedly scanning for your flaws erodes confidence and motivation.
We can’t criticize ourselves into feeling good about how we show up.

WHAT TO TRY:

Give yourself credit. Daily. Even if it feels lame.
If it’s difficult, that’s a sign for you to practice this a lot.

HOW TO DO IT:

Every day, name 3 ways you showed up in your life that you feel good about:

• Level 1: Something you did (e.g., went to the gym, answered that hard email, left work on time).

• Level 2: Who you were being (e.g., patient with my son, direct in a meeting, honest with myself about what I could accomplish).

• Level 3: Both. What did you do and who were you being (e.g., I was courageous, said no to helping Marge with her project and was able to make it to the gym, yay me!).

Collect the ‘credits’ in notes on your phone, or in a journal.
Hell, make it a dinner table conversation ritual.

(Side note: Intentionally directing your thoughts is a powerful ‘intervention’ on its own. But if you have the bandwidth, articulating them in writing or out loud activates additional neural circuits. This repetition strengthens new pathways, reinforcing the shift from thought to belief to behaviour. It’s how neuroplasticity works, and how habits are formed.)

THE GOAL:

Get in the habit of noticing what’s right about you and how you’re showing up. Some days, you’ll only find one thing: every rep counts. This is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

This practice helps rewire your brain to look for what’s working.
Over time, this strengthens your connection to an inner voice that encourages, validates and acknowledges.
Resulting in courage, resiliency and motivation.
In turn, you feel fucking magical.

You’ve been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked.
Try approving of yourself and see what happens.
-Louise Hay