Consistency is often a liability towards self-improvement. If putting pressure to stay who you are, how can you grow into something better? Trying to stay consistent in the eyes of family and friends can slow your growth, as you avoid challenges that don’t fit neatly inside your predefined personality. Consistency and Social Drag Anyone who […]
Criticism and Praise are the Same
If you do anything unique, people will attack you for it. Self-motivation depends on having a thick skin, persisting in spite of criticism. But equally important is the ability to not let praise consume you, either. Because, praise and criticism are just reflections of each other. In order to properly handle criticism, you also need […]
How to Develop a Thicker Skin
“I wrote for twelve years and collected 250 rejection slips before getting any fiction published, so I guess outside reinforcement isn’t all that important to me.“Â – Lisa Alther “Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential.” – Jessamyn West “Oh, great reviews are the worst. They mislead you more than the bad […]
Why Most Feedback Sucks
Getting better at anything requires feedback, that’s obvious. But what is often more important is selectively ignoring most of the feedback you receive. If you’re basing your decisions entirely on a comment by one person, you’re probably going to make a mistake. Although it may seem like arrogance, I think following your own intuition and […]