/ Your Inner Critic

/ When you are feeling less confident what does your inner critic say to you?

It may feel counter intuitive, but for a brief (and we mean brief) moment, we want you to think back and reflect on some of the things your inner critic has said to you in the past, when you least needed it.

What did that negative voice inside you say, how did they say it and what particular words stand out to you?

Please take a moment to write them down.

IMAGE ABOVE OF NEGATIVE / INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS

Name your inner critic

It’s been proven that personifying your inner critic, giving it a character, face, shape and even a name can help separate those negative thoughts from you and how you see yourself. This adds distance and makes it easier for you to challenge your inner critics’ negativity.

Take a moment to visualise what your inner critic looks like or give it new name.

Take a moment to watch David Kelley’s TED Talk on Creative Confidence. here he takes us through the idea of Self-efficacy and guided mastery.

One Step at a time

Sometimes, when a goal feels out of reach, it's not because it's impossible, but because the task ahead seems too big to tackle all at once. That feeling can naturally bring up fear or hesitation. But, as we see in David’s story and insights, breaking things down into small, manageable steps can make even the biggest goals feel achievable. This approach is called guided mastery.

By practising guided mastery—taking those first small steps and celebrating the little wins along the way—we begin to replace fear with familiarity. This process helps quiet the fear of judgment, mistakes, or failure, and keeps us grounded in the present. Over time, it builds something powerful: self-efficacy.

To help you get started, here's a guided mastery goal-setting worksheet designed to support you in breaking down your goals into simple, achievable steps.