1) The “Inner Critic” Business Gremlin.

This gremlin can also be filed under “unworthiness”. It’s the gremlin that shows up to beat you up because nothing (of yours or anyone else’s) is ever good enough.

It’s one thing to strive in a healthy way for excellence. That’s called Healthy Striving and that is good.

It’s quite another to beat yourself up for things that haven’t gone as planned in the past or for things you think will not be done “perfectly” in the future. (more on that one later.)

Don’t you love his club? All the better for beating you up with!

2) The “Need for Certainty” Business Gremlin.

Being an entrepreneur requires that you have the ability to deal with risk. Risk means to become exposed to danger, harm or loss.

Whenever you are creating a new business, new product offering, new list building gift… you are indeed exposed to the danger, harm or loss of failing.

The problem is when you become perpetually stuck in planning and dreaming mode, rather than uncomfortable, sometimes painful, exposed action. If you need certainty, much better to get a good job and be certain to get a paycheck. (Although that’s not all that certain anymore either.)

3) The “Perfectionism” Business Gremlin.

This one has been running rampant over a LOT of people and their dreams and is closely related to #2 above. This keeps people from sharing their light, talents and gifts with the world. Needing to have all your “ducks in a row” can determine whether or not you will FINALLY birth your newest idea. (or maybe you’ll see someone else bring it into the world!)

Nothing is perfect. Nothing you create can ever be perfect. It can simply be a continuing expression of who you are right now.

Again, this is not the same as Healthy Striving.

4) The “Comparison” Business Gremlin.

Because it’s so easy to see what your “competition” is doing, it’s somewhat easy to fall prey to this gremlin. When you know how hard you’ve been working (or planning and planning, in many cases) and it looks from the outside looking in that they are having more success with more ease.

My Abuelita (Grandmother) has a saying I love.

“Suma, No Quita” – (translation: It adds to, it’s doesn’t take away from)

It means when you see someone doing or being what you aspire to, celebrate that for them. And since we are all ultimately ONE. If it is possible for them, it is possible for you, too.

5) The “Overwhelm” Business Gremlin.

Ay chihuahua… this one is so EASY for people to allow to take over… their business and life!

With social media, regular “media”, our shortening attention span. This is why cultivating a practice of focus is so important. I like to divide my day up and use a timer. Over time it’s helped me remain focused, even when my creative brain says “SQUIRREL” and wants to create something new.

FOCUS is key.

Another way to deal with this one is to remove things that numb you. For example, too much tv, or wading through social media trending topics. Those are DISTRACTIONS to you getting your expertise out into the world. We’re about to get rid of cable in our home. As someone who has done this before, I know how many hours it brings back into your life for work, for family, for play and rest. Yes, it can feel difficult at first, but just like anything else, it’s a habit.

6) The “Scarcity Mindset” Business Gremlin.

This one is super important to pivot away from. Yet, it can be hard when we listen to mainstream media and engage in negative conversations about money. Sometimes, limiting beliefs around money, abundance and scarcity have been ingrained and inculcated over our lifetime. It’s no wonder that it feels hard.

However, when you get laser-focused on the VALUE you bring your customers and clients and you communicate it effectively, you are able to write your own paycheck. The difficult part is the LASER-FOCUSING on your value and communicating it.

It feels far easier to be distracted with the latest plugin, or new webinar platform or new social media platform that you “must” master.

Unless you are clear in the value you bring and how to communicate it, almost nothing else matters! And scarcity will be something that continues to haunt you.

7) The “Powerlessness” Business Gremlin.

This gremlin can pop up in many ways, the inner conversation goes something like “You can’t do that. You don’t know how to do that. You don’t really have control.” Most people who have the success you want also had that inner dialogue in the beginning.

But they figured it out.

They planned as best as possible.

They got help for the things they did not know.

They show resourcefulness, what I sometimes call “Being a MacGyver” Remember that show? He figured out how to save the world with a stick of chewing gum and a safety pic.

Successful people cultivate RESILIENCE.

Now that we’re aware of these 7 Deadly Business Gremlins, stay tuned for how to crush them!