#BeInspired Mondays with IK: 5 things to Do When Faced with Criticism 

First of all… two things to note:

Not everyone will like you or what you do, even if you have devoted your entire life to pleasing every individual you come in contact with.

Also, you can’t always get things right at all times. You can reduce your error rate, but you can’t eliminate errors or wrong turns. Sometimes, you may not see the mistake until it is pointed out to you, or until its effects are materialised.

The two realities show that you can’t run away from criticism. No, at least not in life as we know it.

People will always look for, see or form loopholes in what you are doing, and we must not just know that, but keep it in mind. Criticism is good, expected, and even needed for growth, if you play your cards well.

Nobody likes to be criticised against; even a career critic will cringe when he/she gets a taste of their own meal. But criticism will always come.

How then can you handle it?

Understand that you are not Perfect

No one is, actually. We all hate to make mistakes, but the truth is, as long as we live, mistakes are bound to happen and inasmuch as we know this, we need to keep it in mind.

This is not in anyway trying to encourage mediocrity, it is just saying we should not think of mistakes and failure as an alien experience.

So, when you make mistakes, people will criticise, depending on how popular the mistake is, or how popular you are. It’s fine. Pick the lessons and move on.

Don’t lose Sleep

Worry is like a rocking chair; keeps you busy, but gets you nowhere.

Worry is like trying to get to Australia from Nigeria, but instead of buying a ticket, you go about telling people why you need to get to Australia.

If you are not thinking about a solution, it’s better not to think about the problem. So, if you are being criticised, don’t lose sleep over what is being said about you, do the next point on this list.

Differentiate between Hate and Constructive Criticism

No one sets out to fail. However, when what you do amounts to failure, be sure to differentiate between those who criticise you just to help, or those who are calling you foolish.

From the delivery and vocabulary, you can tell the difference. Just note which is which and do this:

Pick the Lesson

Sometimes, there is truth even in criticism from those who intend to run you down. Your job is to find it and address the issues raised.

Constructive critics can spell it out for you, and even proffer solutions, so that’s easy. You just have to decide what to correct and edit.

Make the Necessary Changes

One of the greatest enemies of doing the right thing, is how you feel. It’s a tricky one because your feelings can influence your thoughts and vice versa, and this will also influence the action you take.

Strive to think things through before you act. Obviously, when you are getting negative press, negative emotions follow and this can cause negative action.

The goal is to learn to not act until you put all the factors on the table and possibly share with a good head, before a decision is to be made.

Look at why you are being criticised, find the loopholes, fix them.

P.S: Doing this is easier said than done, but it is not impossible; it can be learned.