365 Days With Self-Discipline: 365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success

Day 334: On Self-Criticis m

Self-criticism is consistently associated with less motivation and worse

self-control.

—Kelly McGonigal

 

335

Berating  yourself  for  your  failures  simply  doesn’t  work.  Instead  of

motivating you to do better next time, it only brings you down, causing you

to  be  even  less  likely  to  exert  your  willpower.  In  fact,  being  too  harsh

towards yourself can turn one slip-up into a full-blown crisis or even into

giving  up  on  your  goals  because  you  become  convinced  that  you’re  too

weak to change your life.

Instead of self-criticism, give yourself self-compassion. Whenever you

fail to meet your standards, remind yourself that you were probably doing

your best, but this time it simply didn’t work. Human beings aren’t perfect,

so  don’t  assume  that  you’ll  have  100%  adherence  to  a  diet,  a  workout

program, or any other resolution you have.

Then, instead of looking for reasons why you suck because you failed,

look  for  lessons  in  your  slip-up  and  vow  to  do  better  next  time,  being

careful  to  not  repeat  the  same  mistakes.  Being  kind  to  yourself  will

ultimately motivate you more to try again than poisoning yourself with your

critical voice ever could.

---