Rewriting the voice in your head. Quieting your worst critic.

Your personal brand begins with belief. Rewrite your inner voice, quiet your worst critic, and reframe the internal story shaping how you show up.

Your personal brand begins long before the first impression. It starts inside. Not with strategy, but with the quiet monologue narrating your every move. Sometimes, that voice is bold and brave. Other times, it’s hesitant and harsh, setting the stage for self-sabotage. 

Personal branding is more than logos, language, or LinkedIn. It goes beyond the branding - it’s personal. And if the story you tell yourself is off, no amount of polish will help your true potential shine through. 

Let’s shift the personal brand conversation from strategy to self. So self-doubt becomes self-determination.  

1. Rewrite the true story 

What story is your inner monologue telling? There are 3 key types of stories:

1. The stories we tell ourselves

2. The stories we tell other people 

3. The truth

You can also tell your story (even if it’s only to yourself) as a: 

1. Victim 

2. Villan 

3. Hero 

Choose the truth. Reframe your victim and villain voice to honour your hero's journey story. How do you do that? Enter Tip 2. 

2. Challenge your credibility. Ratio yourself 

In the social media world, to be ‘ratioed’ generally isn’t a good thing. For example, if your post on X gets many more replies than likes for retweets, it most likely means people disagree, are mocking it or pushing back. It’s likely controversial or poorly received. 

From neuroscience to relationships, experts agree that we have a hardwired negativity bias. Positive falls away like Teflon and negative sticks like Velcro. It’s believed that you need anywhere between 5-10 positive interactions to overcome a negative one. So, ratio yourself. Push back on your critiques of yourself or negative interactions. For every negative thought you feel infiltrating your inner dialogue, disagree with 5-10 points to prove yourself wrong.

3. One bad day doesn’t define your career

For every missed opportunity, many more will come your way. For every win you wanted that didn’t deliver, it makes way for what was meant to be yours.  Bad days or faux pas can feel all-consuming instead of fleeting. Put it in perspective. Don’t just think bigger - think blimp. Zoom out. See shortcomings in the big picture of life - or even just work life - they will become tiny. That’s if you can even see it at all. 

4. Be open to constructive criticism  

I understand the cliche is to silence your inner critic. But, what if there’s an ounce of truth to their take? Without feeling overwhelmed by your personal critique, consider that two things can be true at the same time. Your inner critic may be extremely exaggerated; however, there might be some room for improvement, as your mind is trying to make something obvious to you. Instead of killing the critic altogether, listen with curiosity. Like in mediation, the point is not to stop your thoughts altogether. It’s to notice them without judgment. 

5. Don’t let limited decisions become limiting beliefs

One of my favourite takeaways from neurolinguistic programming (NLP) is the distinction between limiting beliefs and limiting decisions. Limiting beliefs are limiting decisions. The decision preceding the belief was likely caused by a defining event. Don’t let whatever limiting feeling you're experiencing today be the defining point in your self-perception, altering your potential in the long term. Don’t look back on your life and let today be the moment you decided to stop believing in a goal or your talent in a typical field. Look back and remember the day you chose to feel the feeling and keep going anyway. The day you chose to prove yourself wrong. 

6. Refer to your Wins folder

In my earlier Friday reset routine blog,  I shared that I heard someone suggest keeping a folder in your emails for all the wins. This might be your favourite feedback, customer compliments or other achievements.  For a more multi-dimensional portfolio, take this offline too for other highlights outside of your inbox. 

While you might not always peruse your Wins folder, it matters in those moments when you need it most. Rituals can help us process emotions and manage stress. When you find yourself having a down week, you have a folder that quickly reminds you why you do what you do. 

Your personal brand isn’t built in a vacuum. It’s built in the moments no one sees. The 5-second internal dialogue that changes the way you pitch an idea, post a thought, or enter a room. It’s a mosaic of self-perception, past decisions, and the narratives we may have mistaken for facts.

Those limiting voices aren’t your full story. They’re just an impasse. A dead end. Learn to quiet your worst critic, reframe your inner commentary and stack proof of your progress. Choose the voice that leads you forward. Not the one that holds you back.