The Gremlin works by talking to you in your head to get you confused, questioning yourself, convince you your dream is stupid, dangerous, impossible, you are not qualified, don’t have time, money, etc. to do what you want. You know your Gremlin is having a greater influence or control over you when you are making excuses, not moving forward, paralyzed, overwhelmed, procrastinating, confused, arguing why things will not work, etc.
The Gremlin will use tactics to hold you back from action. It always has something to say; always figuring and thinking. It is critical of everyone – others and mostly you. It enrolls with emotional appeal and plays into making you feel powerful through angry and annoyed energy. It wants you to have the feeling of power and greatness to justify, affirm and validate your negative energy and withholding activity. Here are some of the strategies it uses, see if you recognize any for yourself:
- Perfectionism & Judgment –
- Standards – Must be better. This is not good enough. There is more possible here. Come on.
- Judgment – If people understood how great this could be, they would work harder. They are slow. That will never work. How ridiculous, that is obviously not going to happen!
- Excuses – you are too busy, you have a family to take care of, you can’t work 2 jobs full time
- Predictive – “If you do ___________, then ________ will happen.”
- Negative – “I can’t, I shouldn’t, etc”
- Exaggerations – Speaks in absolute extremes – “Always, never, completely, everything, etc.”
- Focuses & fixates on the past – regrets and beats self up
- “Mothering” – protects you from getting hurt, being vulnerable, etc.
- Plants doubts – keeps you small, says it is too much, too overwhelming, can’t do it.
- Lies to you – you don’t know how to do that.
- Evokes fear – what will happen? You might fail, look stupid, be kicked out, etc.
- Other –
Keep Charging & Shine!
Christy Geiger, Executive/Leadership Coach, www.synergystrategies.com
