Being able to handle criticism is a valuable skill, and one that you should learn quickly if you want to succeed. In reality, successful people receive criticism all the time, whether it is people doubting their ideas or questioning their process.
Being able to handle criticism is a valuable skill, and one that you should learn quickly if you want to succeed. In reality, successful people receive criticism all the time, whether it is people doubting their ideas or questioning their process. It’s part of life, and those who handle it best are the ones who come out on top.
When you can receive and absorb criticism, you can use it to your advantage. Here’s how.
Not all criticism is bad
Firstly, it’s important to remember that not all criticism is bad. We’ve all heard of ‘constructive criticism’, which is usually meant to help you rather than knock you down. However, some criticism isn’t constructive at all, so it’s a matter of working out which criticism is meaningful.
When criticised, it’s easy to let negative thoughts creep in. Don’t let them. If someone had given you negative feedback, view it as a chance to learn and grow. The human mind is a wonderful thing, and you can stop negative talk before it overwhelms you. Ultimately, much of the criticism you receive can help get you where you really want to be.
Carefully consider the feedback
As we mentioned, not all feedback is useful. So, carefully consider each piece of criticism and determine whether it has merit. If you’ve dressed inappropriately for a job interview, and someone has criticised you for it, you can learn from that. If a customer complains that your service was nothing like promised, consider that carefully. Is there a disconnect between what you’ve advertised and what you deliver?
Criticism is a chance to grow, but you can’t do that unless you give proper consideration to what’s been said. You might be unimpressed with negative feedback at the time, but it gives you a great chance to reflect. Maybe you need to make some changes you weren’t even aware of.
Don’t dwell on it – learn and move on
Once you’ve given the criticism the honest investigation it requires, it’s time to put that negativity aside. Don’t dwell on poor feedback or criticism, because that only slows down your progress. Take whatever you’ve learned and let it push you towards success. Remember, you’re now armed with information that helps you improve.
In that sense, criticism drives you to be better. Everybody makes mistakes, and that’s all part of life. Without mistakes, the world’s most successful people wouldn’t be where they are today. Learn from mistakes, put the past behind you, and look forward.
Criticism builds resilience
As uncomfortable as it may be initially, criticism builds resilience. If you’ve got big plans for the future, you’ll need some resilience along the way. Coping with failure, mistakes and criticism requires plenty of resilience, and there’s only one way to build it. You need to go through some tough experiences to really learn and come through the other side as a better version of yourself. So, every little bit of criticism you receive along the way is a chance to grow your resilience even more. Ultimately, that means you’ll be well equipped to deal with bigger hurdles as they come your way.
Think of criticism as a chance to grow
Nobody goes through life without facing criticism. Whether that criticism is constructive or unfounded, you still need to cope with it. But in the end, criticism is simply a chance to grow. An opportunity to learn from mistakes and move closer toward your goals. In fact, if you handle criticism well, you might even find you reach your goals much faster. If you’re determined to succeed, don’t let criticism drag you down. Use it to boost you up.
