I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.

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When building a profitable practice, sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. We fight with our inner critic. There’s a voice inside your head that tells you when you do something wrong. It acts like a filter of sorts and is needed to help you survive. It alerts you when you are running late and tells you to get to work and stop slacking off, but sometimes it can be too harsh for your own well-being. When this happens, it’s time to fight your inner critic. You need to take it down a notch or two. You don’t want to silence that critic completely, but you do want to teach it some balance. After all, you can’t be wrong 100% of the time.

Why do you have this inner voice that can be overly critical?

It is a protection mechanism to help guide you through your journey in life. Sometimes it shouts at you to let you know you are in danger. Other times it can let you know what you should say or not say in social situations. This inner critic has also lived a lifetime of negativity. It sees you watching the news or listens in on conversations you have with others.

This constant barrage of negativity has helped it build into the cynic that it currently is. Your inner critic also has your appearance and childhood teachers on its side. After all, you spent your entire childhood listening to these authorities telling you what you are not allowed to do. The inner critic scooped up that information and it was reinforced for years.

Your inner critic, if unchecked, can hold you back.

It can ruin your self-confidence by telling you that you’re not smart enough or attractive enough. You might want to speak up on the job, maybe even present new ideas, but your inner critic will shut you down by saying that your input isn’t valid. While you can list one or two ways that it is, your inner critic is locked and loaded with dozens of reasons why it isn’t. You may want to finally launch your own business or take that international trip alone, but your inner critic will tell you that it’s not time yet. (If you aren’t mindful, it’ll never be time.) It’ll also, if you aren’t careful, have you falling victim to imposter syndrome and even isolating yourself from those who care about you and/or those who can help you improve.

It’s time to temper that inner critic.

It has gone on far too long with unchecked power. It won’t be easy since it has had control of you all your life. But you can take some steps to the curve its impact:

  • Start using positive affirmations. Do this consistently, preferably on a daily basis. But you can get away with it weekly if that’s all the time you have.
  • Be prepared for resistance from your inner critic. Your inner critic might not have been talked back to for years. It usually has the run of things, so be aware of that.
  • Pay attention to the messages the inner critic is giving you. It may be worth it to jot them down on a piece of paper. Evaluate those messages frequently and decide if it’s giving you the right advice. You will find that often it isn’t. When you make this discovery, it’s time for you to make some changes.

I am Dr. Hassan, Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own independent practice so that they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/guide to pick up the free guide to help you determine the best business entity for your new practice.

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Sometimes your inner critic can be so negative. Check out our blog here for tips on how to overcome negative thinking.

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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com