If there’s one thing I don’t love in life, it’s criticism. And yet I pay $1000 an hour to my coach to do it. Am I crazy? Am I a masochist? No, I’m just an entrepreneur who wants to grow her business faster than other coaches. So this article really got my interest. Here are 4 ways to use criticism for growth.

1. Detach yourself emotionally.Rather than seeing it as a personal attack, see it as a piece of information that could help you strengthen your business.
2. Filter out unproductive feedback.  Look at the critic’s motivation. Are they trying to weed out competition? Are they jealous? Are they defending outdated ideas?
3. Consult with people you trust. For criticism that does come from a productive or genuine place (even if it seems harsh), give it some consideration.
4. See criticism as an opportunity to improve. If you decide the critique has merit, find creative ways to solve the problem.
via How to Make Criticism Drive You.

Listen to your gut if you’ve heard the same criticism over and over again, it’s probably true and you need to deal with it. If it’s simply the ravings of a person who doesn’t get it and doesn’t get you, then say thank you and lovingly move on and away.
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Related articles

• How to Tackle Your Critics (cherrypositive.com)
• The Importance of Criticism (jessicaoddi.blogspot.com)
• Stop Drive-By Critics in Their Tracks (inc.com)
• Criticism: 4 Easy Tips to Handle Negative Feedback (northjerseysmallbusinessforum.org)