What would pressing mute on your confidence gremlin (aka inner critic) allow you to do?
Commonly showing up at times of change, your gremlin acts like an overbearing parent, stopping you from progressing towards the stuff you want to do and the person you want to be.
So where does it come from?
Your gremlin lives in your head rent free, and is a product of:
- Past experiences
- Limiting beliefs
- Unhelpful (often fictitious) assumptions
- Confirmation bias
It’s as unique as you are, making it annoyingly good at telling you unhelpful stories that you not only listen to – but believe too.
Need a little peace and quiet from negative self-talk?
Give this exercise a go and gain the confidence you need to move forward.
How it works
- Where is a lack of confidence holding you back?
This could be anything from speaking up in meetings, attending a workout class or putting yourself forward for an exciting project.
- Pause and listen to any negative chatter.
What stories does your confidence gremlin tell you?
Write them down.
- Imagine you’re having a chat with your gremlin.
What could you say to counteract their statements?
For example:
If your Gremlin said, “You don’t have enough experience to start that project.”
A response could be, “I have experience in X,Y & Z that will help me get started. I can pull on my strengths and when I’ve finished I’ll have developed a new skill to shout about too.”
Or
“Everyone knows you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Response, “They are probably more concerned about their own work projects than worrying about mine.”
- Create a vivid picture of your confidence gremlin.
Are they made of strawberry jelly? Do they have pencils for fingers? Or perhaps some furry ears? The more bizarre the better.
- Give them a nickname and a personality. Sketching them out and sticking them on your fridge works too.
- Decide how you want to get rid of them when they pop up.
Do you put them in a box? Send them to the moon? Toss them into the bin?
✅ Bonus step:
Think back to the responses you gave to your gremlin. What small steps could you make to help you build confidence in the areas your gremlin likes to speak out about?
This could be creating a new habit, finding a mentor, or completing a course in a subject you’re interested in.
Take to your coach
Ready to jump into the driving seat of your own personal development? Or perhaps you want to give this technique a go with a professional, trained coach? More Happi provides access to high-quality, affordable 1:1 coaching to help you overcome obstacles, solve problems and get where you want to go, faster. Happi-er.
Discover more here.
