What do you think you is stopping you from achieving greatness? Is it the lack of time? Lack of skill? Experience maybe? Maybe, but chances are, you have enough time in your hand and enough skills to achieve what you want to achieve. But these 3 monsters that we’re going to discuss in this post are stopping you from getting there.
Thanks to the awesome Chris Do for this insightful post where he talks about how to detect these monsters and how you can tame them. Before we get to the post, let’s have a word from Chris Do himself.
Word from Chris Do
Tame your inner beast. Everyone has three monsters inside them: perfection monster always telling you something isn’t good enough, the advice monster telling you that you have to be the hero with all the answers, and the people pleaser monster telling you to take care of other people’s happiness first.
Here’s how to identify when the monsters rear up and what to do when they do.
What monster lives inside of you? What are you doing to silence the monster? What has worked for you?
Everyone Has Three Monsters Inside Them
1. Perfection Monster
Tells you it’s not good enough yet.
Symptoms:
Procrastination, missed deadlines, low output. Fearful of criticism. These are the symptoms that you have the perfection monster inside of you. It always keeps telling you something isn’t good enough. You keep on doubting your choices and only aim for perfection which sometimes stops you from progressing.
Solution:
Take action. Seek progress over perfection. “Embrace the suck.” Sure it may suck at the start but don’t worry, you’re progressing. Keep at it. Embrace the suck and keep making progress and soon you’ll get to your desired result.
2. Advice Monster
Positions you as the hero/leader with all the answers.
Symptoms:
Loves giving advice and telling others what to do. Ever feel like you know exactly what to do and have all the answers needed? That also, without even talking to anyone in your team? Love to advise but not to fond of hearing others’ points? If you feel you have any of these symptoms, chances are you have the advice monster in you.
Solution:
Ask more. Talk less. Listen intently. Be slower to answer. Support and empower others to solve their own problems. Yes, that’s all it takes. It may sound easy but may be hard to practice.
3. People Pleaser Monster
Seeks external validation to define happiness.
Symptoms:
Uncomfortable saying ‘No’. Apologizes often. Prioritizes the emotional needs of others. Do you have this monster? Is it hard for you to say no? Even if you don’t want to do it, you still do it just so that you don’t want to say no? And you’re being emotional over other’s needs instead of yours first? Chances are, you have this monster in you.
Solution:
Realize you have a choice. Practice saying ‘No’ to small things. Prioritize your happiness. Remember, your work reflects your mood. So, you do not want to compromise your happiness for anything else. Prioritize your needs first and only then if you feel you want to say yes to something, do it.
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