I’ve written 12 books, a number of which are best-sellers, along with more than 600 articles, and I’ve conducted hundreds of conferences and seminars and delivered as many speeches.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s when to ignore your critics.

And that’s nearly all the time.

I’m not saying their opinions are wrong, because they can be on the mark. You might have erred somehow, or you failed to accomplish a minor objective, and they caught the flaw.

Still, do you need to read or to hear about it? Will it improve or stymie your efforts in the future?

My belief is that critics, however well intentioned, won’t spur you on to greatness, but on the contrary, they might slow you down, make you unnecessarily self-conscious, and simply never “get you,” at least in the same way as your intended audience of listeners, readers, buyers, and admirers.

So, I’ve stopped reading the “comments” sections that accompany my articles at ezines.

For one thing, there are incredibly few of them; no more than a handful of commentators have reacted to more than 600 articles, so whatever their opinions are, I’m sure they’re not representative.

Second, they’ll make me dwell in the past, thinking about yesterday’s ideas, when I have to articulate today’s and tomorrow’s.

The most significant thing is if you’re pleasing yourself. To ask critics to like you as well, is unrealistic, and simply a waste of a creative person’s time.

Overall, it’s better to ignore them and just get back to your work and to your true audiences.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a dynamic speaker at sales, customer service, and motivational meetings, conferences, and conventions, and the best-selling author of 12 books, 600 articles, and creator of numerous audio and video training programs. A favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs is the program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. To book Gary at your next sales, customer service or business meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com.