It works. Until it doesn't.

Before anything else, a confession. It's been a long time.

You agreed to hear from me and then heard nothing. I was heads-down building: a few thousand more hours coaching leaders and teams, a podcast, new MindFittery programs, and navigating my own life too. And, in your inbox and on my social media... crickets. 

That changes today. Starting with The Weekly Practice. This MindFittery newsletter is designed to support you with one idea and one three-minute practice, every Tuesday, to strengthen your mental and emotional fitness. To experience more ease on the stressful days. More clarity in the big decisions. More genuine connection with the people who matter.

Not helpful, right now? Unsubscribe at the bottom of this email, no hard feelings. 

This Week’s Idea: The Inner Critic Works...Well... Until It Doesn’t

"I'm so behind!! I was supposed to launch this two months ago! I'll never get it right."

A few weeks ago, I caught myself thinking this exact thought. I was walking by my bathroom mirror at that moment and caught a glimpse of myself. I saw myself terribly slouching. I realized how my body was tightened up, my breath was shallow, and my shoulders shrank as if trying to protect me from my own internal attack.

Sound familiar? 

Most high performers I work with have a strong voice inside their head that shouts, criticizes, or sneaks in snarky remarks under the disguise of "motivating" us to do better.

For a long time, I trusted and listened to that voice. I thought I needed its harshness to succeed. I thought it was telling me the truth and was good for me. 

Until it cost me too much.

It cost me my physical health through repeated cycles of overworking and exhaustion. It cost me connections in my relationships because I was too drained to want to engage. And ironically, it held me back from growing my business with genuine confidence and ease.

Here's what took me far too long to see: the critic isn't your standards. It's the painful tone. You can keep every ambition that you have and stop being cruel about it. The inner critic gets things done, but only in the short term. Long-term, we pay a very high price. 

It doesn't change overnight. It takes awareness and daily reps. But it does change.

Three‑Minute Practice: Notice Your Inner Voice 

This week's mini mental fitness practice is about practicing your self-awareness "muscle" (one of the pillars of emotional intelligence) by noticing your inner self-talk autopilot. 

Pause. Take a deep breath, and let the exhale be slow.

Now think of one moment this past week when you felt frustrated with yourself. What was your inner narrator saying about you?

You don't have to argue with it or fix it. Just hear it clearly. Notice it and the tone. 

This is your first rep of strengthening your self-awareness muscle. Keep noticing this week. 

One question

What sentence does your inner critic repeat most often?

Hit reply and send me that one line. No need to explain it or polish it. It stays between us, and it tells me what to write for you next.

With appreciation for you and your inner fitness work,

Lucie, Creator of (and a student in) MindFittery

P.S. Next week I'm opening something for those who'd rather practice this with people than alone. More next Tuesday.