Practice self-criticism

In the work of the professional wordsmith, imagination often trumps actual results, since to make our dreams come true, it requires not only vocation, but also education and training.

When you experience failure and feel discouraged, you are not maintaining a professional attitude, for only through emotional balance can you rectify mistakes, seize new opportunities and move forward with the joy necessary to achieve a long and successful career.

Healthy career advancement: In professions such as communicators, which have multiple profiles, compliments can have a negative effect, as they are often not supported by in-depth knowledge about the profession and focus only on what is seen or heard. Compliments can boost self-esteem and motivate you to take on new challenges, a smart communicator knows how to value them in their proper measure, as giving them too much weight can put you in an unfavorable position, making you believe that everything is fine.

During the early stages of his career, a communicator may feel a strong passion and desire to advance, which sometimes leads him to accept proposals for which he is not yet prepared. It is only with time and daily practice that the secrets of the trade are discovered. However, the right proportion of modesty and self-esteem promotes healthy career advancement.

People who are overly self-critical can suffer harmful consequences, as this attitude can make them feel incapable of overcoming their mistakes and think they are unfit for the job. This mindset can lead to experiencing negative emotions that hinder learning and the ability to try again, often leading to defeat.

Helpful training: An effective way to learn how to handle self-criticism is by videotaping the work and then posting it to receive both positive and negative feedback, which allows you to improve by identifying mistakes. By taking into account the comments of others, a more accurate assessment can be formed based on the technical aspects, which helps to develop a professional vision of how the work should be performed.

By performing this exercise on a regular basis, the communicator can learn not to take criticism as a personal aggression. This is especially important for those who are starting out in the profession, as it is common to make the same mistakes. By observing the mistakes of oneself and one's colleagues, the communicator becomes stronger and moves away from the perfectionist mentality, which only causes burnout.

To ensure that self-criticism does not overstep healthy boundaries, the communicator should:

• Be aware of the professional stage he/she is in, so as not to demand too much of him/herself and have realistic goals.

• Understand that the purpose of self-criticism is to identify mistakes in order to improve, not to blame oneself.

• Self-criticize at the right time, because there are situations in which sensitivity is greater and can be harmful to oneself.

• Focus your energy on finding solutions for the mistakes made, instead of being overwhelmed by them.

• Avoid confusing the result of your work with your personal value, and keep in perspective the different aspects of your personal and professional life.

• Do not fall into perfectionism, since perfection is only a reference, and good professional results are achieved with training and perseverance.

Cultivate a balanced attitude: A healthy self-criticism is beneficial for a communicator, as it keeps him/her away from conformism, encouraging a receptive attitude towards the evaluation of the work, in order to improve it. New communicators can often feel that they do not have much to contribute and use self-criticism as a resource to force themselves to learn more.

New talents, with daily practice and respect, always receive the support of those already established, who appreciate their freshness and new ideas, because they give the profession an air of renewal.