Who’s the harshest critic in your world?
Is it your boss?
“Why is he such a jerk?!”
Is it your parents?
“Ugh, why won’t they just get off my back?!”
Or is it you?
“This isn’t good enough, I can do better.”
If you are motivated and ambitious, your harshest critic is probably you. Rarely is outside criticism a motivator for people.
In times where you lack confidence, it’s helpful to remember that at least being a critic of yourself can lead you to motivation whereas someone else breathing down your neck or passing judgement, is often far worse.
It’s good to hold yourself to your highest standard, to be competitive with yourself, and to push yourself to the limit. But don’t forget to take a deep breath and cut yourself some slack. Most things aren’t truly important enough to lose sleep over.