I meant to get my workout in this morning.

That’s not something I say often. Typically, if I set the goal, I get it done.

Right on cue, my inner critic has shown up and started telling me that I’m lazy—one of its long-time messages.

I’m blowing my internal whistle on the negative self-talk.

When that part of you that believes that you are less than who you really are shows up, it’s important to take your rightful place as the Coach calling the plays of your life.

Remind your Gremlin that it’s a member of your team meant to help and support you.

I’m assigning my Gremlin the job of helping me get back on track. If I’m taking an unexpected rest day, then tomorrow I want it to encourage me to get up and get moving, remind me of my form, ask me if the weights I’ll be using are challenging enough, and push me to squeeze out one more rep. I want it to help me push past my beliefs about what I think I can do and really give my workout my all.

One of the reasons so many people let that internal voice dominate their inner monologue is they don’t know their own power. They don’t realize that their Gremlin’s job is to help them, not hold them back.

When you give all your power to the Gremlin, it gets a little greedy and controlling. What player left in charge of the team wouldn’t start to believe they’re calling the shots? What’s more, the Gremlin likes being in charge!

This can result in a bit of an internal power struggle when people do start to claim the right to create their own lives.

There are ways to not only make this process easier, but to increase your ability to successfully reclaim the position of Coach in your life.

Here are some tips to recruit and begin to train your inner critic to become the motivational voice that encourages you to move past your believed limits.

• Look for the Truth. That negative thing the Gremlin is saying isn’t the Truth. It’s just playing on your fears. Figure out what is True. For instance, if it’s telling you the healthy food on your plate is too fattening, look for the Truth, which is that you have thought out your meal plan, you have chosen quality foods bursting with nutrition, and your body not only is perfectly capable of utilizing the calories you are eating, but actually needs them to function optimally.
• Treat your Gremlin with respect. Your Gremlin is a part of you and because of this you can’t kill it, beat it up, threaten it, or destroy it. Any attempt to do those things will just make it stronger. When it pipes up uninvited, thank it for the input and then remind it of the Truth.
• Give it a job supporting you. Think about how the energy of the Gremlin could be shifted to help you meet your goals rather than hold you back.
• Remember you’re the Coach. Take ownership of your life and begin calling the plays. You have the power to decide how you are going to react in every situation. You can follow the Gremlin’s old game plan, or implement a new one that helps create the body–and life–you want.

How are you doing at being the Coach of your life? What can you do today to train your Gremlin to support you? How does that change your ability to meet your goals?

Together we can do it!