Headache: “I’m beginning to get on my own nerves; it’s that irritating voice in my head telling me, I SHOULD BE....., I SHOULD HAVE....I don’t have the talent.”

Headache: “I’m beginning to get on my own nerves; it’s that irritating voice in my head telling me, I SHOULD BE....., I SHOULD HAVE....I don’t have the talent.”

We all need space in our minds to give our own particular brand of creativity room to develop. When negative self talk constantly invades our thinking and leaves us depleted of energy and frustrated, it makes free flowing creativity seem almost impossible.

It’s time to go gremlin hunting!

1. You first need to learn to recognise your gremlin. Get out your book and with a pen, and crayons create a visual image. Have some fun with this exercise (mine is green with horns, sitting on a brick wall). When complete, stick your masterpiece where you will see it like a sun visor, computer, toilet wall.

2. Next you need to notice when it’s your gremlin speaking.  Jot down in a notebook the first five negative things that consistently come into your mind when you want and need to achieve something significant in your work and life.

To help you on your way look for the statements that start with the following, I SHOULD, I SHOULDN’T, I WON”T, I CAN’T, IDON’T HAVE, NOT POSSIBLE. Your gremlin will have its own choice of language and particularly irritating speech patterns.

3. Choose a name for him/her. I have to be honest and say that my gremlins name is not fit to share in a public forum. It’s your gremlin, you get to choose whatever name you like.

4. Now in the same notebook write out five sentences, clear unambiguous statements, that leave your gremlin under no illusion that you have heard it all before and it’s now time to be quiet and go away. I’m happy to share two of mine, “Shut the....up” and an old favourite replicating my Jewish mother-in-laws voice when saying “Enough already!”

* * * The Next Step * * *  

Give yourself two weeks to practice the recognise, notice and name technique and you will be on your way to taming your gremlin and having some quality quiet time in your head.

If you really are getting into this and beginning to get some significant value, try writing down some of the STUFF said gremlin is saying....there will be a pattern somewhere!