How to answer your inner critic

In the Academic Writing Club, we ask people about the negative thoughts that are swirling through their preconscious mind, then we ask them to replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Every once in a while, I'm inspired by what people write. Here is one positive response that I particularly like (published with permission):

"It is there. It is all there. It is a question of emphasis and reorganization of ideas. Just be patient. let the logic emerge and flow through you. Getting impatient and frustrated is not conducive to seeing patterns and gaps. You will do it in good time. Just take a deep breath."

It's very powerful to write down your negative thoughts (we all have them -- just pay close attention). Responding to those thoughts in writing, as if you were speaking to a good friend who just said those negative things, will help you break through those blocks and stop the cycle of procrastination.

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