Friction to Flow

Working With The Inner Critic

Practical tips for peak performance without burnout

Working With The Inner Critic

Performance is potential minus interference.

Timothy Gallwey
Tennis coach & Inner Game creator 

It isn’t a psychological fact, but the quote reminds us of something true: our inner critic is often the biggest performance killer. That quiet voice saying ‘you’re not good enough’ or ‘this must be perfect’ can create more friction than any external obstacle. The real skill is noticing the interference and clearing it, rather than wrestling with it.

One thing you could do this week to reduce friction and increase flow:

  • Individual’s Tip: Write down the negative self-talk that pops up when you’re working. When you hear it, say “Thanks brain, but I’m busy” and keep going.
  • Team Leader Tip: Ask your team: “What gets in your way?” Write it all down. Pick the easiest interference to remove and do it this week.
  • Executive Leader: Map out what slows your organization down. Pick one bottleneck everyone complains about. Fix it, even if imperfectly. 
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