No matter what goals we're pursuing, there's always someone whispering behind your back (or telling you to your face) that you can't do it. Even if you're not close to these people, you might start to doubt. And if the nay-sayer is someone whom you deal with on a day-to-day basis (maybe they are even your significant other, your parent, your sibling, your best friend OR, even worse, yourself) then it's even more difficult to ignore them. So here are a few tips to make your nay-sayer walk the plank:
1. When you start thinking, "I can't" tell yourself, "I can." Look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I can do this. I will keep trying. I will strive harder. I will not give in."
2. Distract yourself. This especially works when the nay-saying is coming from yourself. If the negativity involves a certain project, go do something else that completely absorbs you. Read. Go for a run. Hang out with friends. Surf the internet for bad jokes.
3. Remind yourself that anything worth having is worth fighting for. As Stephan Dolley Jr. says, "A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn't will find an excuse."
4. When I'm surrounded by negative people, I start thinking negatively. One of the things to do is to remove yourself from these people (at least for a while) or, if that's not possible, then tell them straight out (and I've done this before), "Let's see if we can go a whole 30 minutes without saying something negative."
5. Surround yourself with positive influences. I, personally, love motivational quotes. I have them tacked all around my desk and doodled in my sketch book. It's amazing how powerful these things can be.
So what about you? How do you drown out the nay-saying?
I'm also a huge fan of (sappy) motivational quotes. :) Tweeting this.
ReplyDeleteGreat ways to drown out the nay-saying. It's so easy to get bogged down by "I can't", "I'm not good enough", and "What is wrong with me today?" Thanks for the wonderful tips!
ReplyDeletefabulous post. love the boost :D
ReplyDeleteI got a divorce.
ReplyDeleteI only wish I were joking about that. I won't ever blame my ex for all of the bad things I've dealt with (and it was my fault for listening to her for so long), but she never lost an opportunity to remind me that my writing and dreams were "foolishness".
I also remind myself that it is up to me to make my dreams happen; like Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."
You're very welcome, everyone. I'm my biggest nay-sayer, so unfortunately I can't divorce myself (though I've threatened to many times).
ReplyDeleteI love that quote by Henry Ford, Brad. Awesomeness. I'll add it to my doodle pad.
"We define our own success, literally. We think if it turns out the way we wanted, thats success, and if it doesn't, then its failure. Being an analytical mind and using a scientific approach, I have it easy. I get to define success as results. Every expirement gives results. So I'm always successful. And thru these small successes, I eventually come to the big success of my own self definition.The biggest killers of success I have discovered so far, are lack of motivation and deadlines. I'm only succesful when I don't limit the amount of time I spend on a project. I'm only succesful when I don't allow myself to subside in my work level due to an infinite amount of time. Necessity may be the mother of all invention, but self-determination is the mother of all success." - Kasey Reed
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