Meet Chad: How Naming Your Inner Critic Puts You Back in Charge
Let’s Get Real—You Have a Chad
High achievers love to pretend we don’t have an inner critic. After all, we’re the go-getters, the problem-solvers, the ones who “handle it.”
But let’s be honest for a second... There’s always a voice in the background. And it’s usually saying things like:
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
“That could fail.”
“You’re not ready yet.”
“People will judge you.”
“Maybe wait until next week… or next lifetime.”
That voice? Yeah—that’s your inner critic. Mine has a name. His name is Chad.
And no offense to the good Chads out there, but my Chad? He’s loud, dramatic, catastrophizing, and convinced he’s protecting me from disaster—when really, he’s just blocking my damn potential.
Here’s the magic:
Naming your inner critic is the first step to shutting his ass up.
Why High Achievers Have the Loudest Chads of All
If you think you’re the only one with an inner troll narrating your day, think again. High performers actually struggle more with inner critics because:
You want to maintain your reputation
You’re used to being good at things fast
You have higher stakes and higher standards
You’ve built an identity on competence
You’re terrified of looking like you don’t know what you’re doing
So when you’re about to take a leap into something new, uncomfortable, or risky—guess who shows up?
Yep. Chad. Chad thrives when you’re leveling up, not when you’re coasting. He’s the voice of your nervous system choosing familiarity over growth. He’s the echo of old fears dressed up as “realistic” advice. He’s the mouthpiece of your past trying to sabotage your future.
And as long as Chad goes unnamed, he feels like you.
The Power of Naming Your Inner Critic
This is where everything shifts. When you name your inner critic—Chad, Karen, Bob, Susan-from-accounting, whatever—you unlock one of the most powerful mindset tools there is. Separation.
Once Chad is named, he’s no longer your voice. He’s a character. An outdated part of you. A protective mechanism running a glitchy script. Not your truth. Not your identity. And definitely not your decision-maker.
The moment you name him? Boom. Instant distance. Instant clarity.
Now you can say “Chad, sit down. I’m in charge.”
Naming your inner critic interrupts the noise because it forces your brain to distinguish between who you are vs. who you were programmed to be. It turns sabotage into a side character you can put in time-out.
The Psychology Behind It (Snarky-Coach Edition)
Here’s the short version of the neuroscience. When you identify, label, or externalize a thought or pattern, your brain moves from emotional reactivity to conscious control. It’s like pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz—once you see the tiny guy pulling the levers, the illusion is gone.
Naming Chad does the same thing. He stops being this booming inner authority and becomes a chatty, anxious side character with outdated advice. So instead of spiraling, you can laugh and say:
“Aww, cute. Chad’s panicking again.”
“Not today, Chad.”
“Unless you’re paying my bills, you don’t get a vote.”
“If I listened to you, I’d still be stuck four levels ago.”
Congratulations—you’ve just turned your inner critic into background noise instead of the main narrator.
How to Shut Chad Down (in Real Time)
Here’s the 3-step method I teach my high achievers:
1. Catch the Voice
Notice when you hear something fear-based, sabotaging, or limiting.
Pause and ask:
“Is this me—or is this Chad?”
2. Call Him Out (By Name)
Literally say it:
“Chad, I hear you. Thanks for trying. But we’re doing this anyway.”
That grounds you in your higher self, not your conditioned self.
3. Take One Bold Action
Not ten. Not a full plan. Just one. Action turns down Chad’s volume faster than any pep talk ever will.
Why This Works (Especially for High Achievers)
You’re not lazy. You’re not confused. You’re not undisciplined.
You’re simply running an outdated operating system that needs a reboot.
High performers love naming their inner critic because:
You like clarity
You like control
You like efficiency
You like knowing what’s yours and what’s BS
You like winning—especially against the voice that told you you couldn’t
Naming Chad gives you power back. Power over hesitation, fear, and over the part of your mind that thinks it’s keeping you safe when it’s really keeping you small.
Spoiler: You’re the boss. Chad is not.
One Last Truth: Chad Isn’t the Enemy—He’s the Alarm System
Chad’s not evil—he’s just loud and outdated. He’s trying to protect you… just in the least helpful way possible. So don’t fight him. Don’t shame him. Just don’t hand him the keys.
Let Chad buckle into the back seat with a juice box—while you take the wheel. Because the version of you that’s rising is too powerful, too aware, and too damn intentional to let an inner Chad dictate their destiny.
