How to Avoid Negative Self-Talk

There are not many things scarier than choosing to take a new path. When you’re creating or trying something new, you can be your own worst enemy. We tend to tell ourselves things that aren’t true, and this prevents us from growing and pursuing our goals. That’s why we’ve come up with four tips for how to avoid negative self-talk and listen to the calling in your heart.

By Kate Gremillion

Get People in Your Corner:

Whether it’s a best friend, an online community, or a mentor, you need to have a cheerleader. This is someone who believes in you and your passion and will help negate all the things you tell yourself about why you can’t succeed. These are the people who will help hold you accountable when you feel like giving up and celebrate with you when you reach a new milestone.

Know Your Why:

When we start questioning our path, ideas, and aspirations, it’s often because we’ve lost sight of why we started in the first place. Working long hours and not seeing the progress you anticipated can have an impact on your perception and attitude. It may even cause you to lose sight of your larger goal. You have to remember why you decided to open your own business, start a new project, get a new job, or join a certain team.

Write your why statement down and keep it where you can see it every day and reference it every time you need to remember what you’re working for.

Follow Your Industry:

While it’s important to follow your own path, one of the greatest motivators can be seeing someone else grow and succeed in the same space. Your dream job can shift from an impossible idea to a tangible example by witnessing someone else’s journey.

Social media is a great resource for introducing us to individuals and companies doing amazing things, so take advantage of it. Search for relevant hashtags and companies in your industry, contribute to the conversation, and follow along. The more positive information you receive about your idea, the better you’ll feel about doing it yourself.

Stop Comparing and Start Connecting:

While social media can be a great resource, it can also be a source of jealousy and it may validate your self-doubt if you start comparing yourself to other people. Sometimes when we see someone succeeding in our space we have the tendency to compare instead of learn. We think, “I could never do that,” or “She will always be better than me,” but we should be using each other as mentors and resources to grow.

If you see a blog or an Instagram account you like, reach out to the person and make a connection. Everyone loves hearing that someone enjoyed their work, and many businesswomen and entrepreneurs are open to sharing advice and tips for success. Ask them about their personal journey or even for an informational interview. This could be the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

The most important thing to remember is everyone who has achieved something noteworthy has been there, and despite what the voice in your head says, you’re not alone. So even if your negative self-talk never truly goes away, know that there is a stronger voice somewhere inside telling you to keep going.

What are your tips for how to avoid negative self-talk? 

By Kate Gremillion: Kate Gremillion is the founder of Mavenly + Co, a community of young women having honest conversations about college, career, and life and helping them create a lifestyle by their own design.