Is Your Gremlin Tamed?

By Steve Gwisdalla

Originally Published January 26, 2023

Article 12

Hello Fellow Tribes members! Today I wanted to take a brief moment to promote a book that has changed my life. Taming Your Gremlin is a book that introduces the concept of the "gremlin", a metaphor for the negative, self-defeating voice inside our heads that can sabotage our efforts to achieve our goals. The book highlights the negative impact of the gremlin on our lives and how it can prevent us from achieving our goals and living a fulfilling life. What Carson does beautifully is show us that past failures (the one thing your gremlin loves to remind you of more than anything) do not automatically equate to future failures. Who we were at 18 is not the same person you are today!

It is an easy read and I have recommended this book (and given away dozens of copies during individual coaching engagements) for years. I don’t receive anything for recommending this book other than the satisfaction of helping those whose inner gremlin is yelling over everything else in their lives. In a previous Tribe of Up article, I mentioned my desire to add more ‘dimmer switches’ to how I view things. All too often we are either ‘on’ or ‘off.’ Sometimes, being a 5 or 6 is preferable to being a 0 or 10. Carson mentions in his book how trying to turn off the gremlin will only embolden him by giving him the attention he craves. But lowering the volume through focus of activity, celebration of successes and other factors act as a dimmer switch on the gremlin’s volume.

Even though this book was written in the 1980’s, many of its lessons are still very true today.

If anyone is interested in having a discussion about gremlins, please reach out at [email protected]

Have a great weekend everyone!