How to Control Your Head Trash by Noah St. John

If you’re familiar with my work, you’ll know that I use the term “head trash” to refer to the persistent, nagging voice—otherwise known as your inner critic—that tells you that you’re not enough: not good enough, not likeable enough, not believable enough, etc. 

To get a sense of the big picture, think of the movie A Beautiful Mind. If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s about a brilliant mathematician whose visions—hallucinations, really—negatively impact his life. They interfere with his family, with his work, and limit his potential. By the end of the film, he has managed to control—not eliminate—these apparitions. There’s a scene in which he is helping his wife put on her coat, and he sees one of the creations of his mind. Noticing his hesitation, his wife asks him if he’s okay, and he tells her he’s fine. The idea is that despite having this very insistent head trash, he is able, finally, to control it and not let it disrupt his life. 

While it’s not always possible to eliminate your head trash entirely, you can prevent it from limiting your success. The following are four strategies for controlling your inner critic: 

1. Bring your head trash into your conscious awareness. Part of what makes head trash so insidious is that it operates mostly at an unconscious level. So the first step in controlling it is becoming aware of what specifically it is saying. As you go through your life, trying to advance your career, build your business, etc., when you hear that voice that says, “I don’t think I can do this,” what reasons is it giving you? I’ve identified about 100 types of head trash, but there’s probably more. What specific negative comments is your head trash entertaining? And, more importantly, what is the most debilitating one?  

2. Understand the cost. What is it costing you to believe your head trash? What is it costing you to hold on to it? My head trash causes me to question if anyone will believe me—even though I have all this social proof of people following my method and adding six, seven, and even eight figures to their income. If I believed that head trash, I wouldn’t be reaching out to people, writing books, doing live events, because I’d be giving in to the voice. Just like with the mathematician in A Beautiful Mind, you can hear your head trash without heeding it. 

3. Use my Afformations® method. Get enough proof that what your head trash is saying doesn’t hold any weight anymore. If you’re wanting someone to buy your product, join your network/team, or align themselves with your cause, you must present an argument, and the reasons you give them can help combat your head trash. For example, I might respond to my head trash about people not believing me by asking myself, “Why do people believe me? Why do the right people believe me?” My answer will start retraining my brain to focus on the value I am adding. 

4. Obtain the support of people who believe in you, probably more than you believe in yourself. A great place to do this is at my Freedom Lifestyle Experience event, where you’ll be surrounded by other likeminded individuals invested in their success—and yours. Visit FreedomLifeX.com for more details.  

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be able to talk back to your head trash. You won’t never think a negative thought again—that’s a promise only a “shelf-help” guru would give you. But you will be able to control your head trash and prevent it from sidelining you on your success journey. 

Don’t let your head trash hold you back from living the Freedom Lifestyle of your dreams. Order a copy of my new book, Power Habits®: The New Science for Making Success Automatic®, and learn how to leverage the five systems of support to: 

• Make a definitive difference in the world 

• Have a genuine impact on the people you’re here to serve 

• Supercharge your ability to attract more wealth and abundance 

• Enjoy more time off without the guilt 

• Overcome the fear of failure so you can achieve more while working less