Hello internet place, let's have a chat.

Sometimes people tend to think I'm too pessimistic or unfair because I have a tendency to pick things apart and ultimately question their worth. I do this in my home life, my general work life and the process I use for boiling down what news stories to bring to you everyday. I can be very judgemental which stems from my rather strong sensibilities on my tastes and opinions, but the word I prefer to use is critical.

Being a rather obsessive (and I mean that in every sense of the word) perfectionist, self criticism is the thing that most often plagues me, drives me, and makes me better than who I was yesterday, or last week, or last year. I spend a lot of time working on my presentation skills, my editing skills and improving what I feel needs work. Unfortunately this doesnt leave a lot of room for me to congratulate myself on the things that I actually do get right, lucky for me I have lovely friends, workmates, family and a significant other to make sure I remember how much I am succeeding, not just where I am faltering.

I called this blog post, Critical. When I first interviewed for this job I was asked (as so many people are) for three words to describe myself. I chose passionate - obvious, and true, creative and then I stumbled into the last word. I said critical. I noticed the expressions change on the faces of my now colleagues who were interviewing me - Id just said something different, done something unexpected.

As I travelled home from that interview I remember stressing over it, thinking I should have said gamer. Only realising now that that would have been an awfully generic thing to say. Saying critical worried me for its implication that I have a tendency to be negative, which I do, but being able to be critical is so important and so true to who I am. I am critical of myself, but I am also critical of those around me who I expect to come into the realm of my atrociously high standards. Count yourself very lucky if you also happen to have a boss with the same atrociously high standards - even if your natural reaction would be to dread that scenario. I promise you its worthwhile.

I am critical when I step into the office in the morning and need to weed out the worthwhile stories from the crappy ones in just a few minutes. I am able to make snap decisions and cast aside bad ideas in favour of good ones, or just wait for the good ones to come if what is presented to me is just not good enough.

I tend to use the phrase, "Who cares?" which seems to annoy my colleagues no end. And my friends and family for that matter. But I really see the value in that phrase, especially in this job. It's important to discuss, who does care? Why should they care? Am I doing something valuable or reporting something that people want to hear about?

And if not, How can I make a dumb joke about it and move on?

People see criticism as a very bad thing but criticism from my boss has made me very good at my job, criticism from good friends has made me into a person I'm happy being. Imbuing your own clever, discerning criticism into your daily life is not an awful thing and I'd recommend it highly.

Just always remember to give yourselves a break every once in a while. Or have a loved one or a good friend remind you to do that if you're not so good at going easy on yourself.

That's all the words I have for you today.