Self Sabotage – Get out of your own way

Self Sabotage – Get out of your own way

Doing something we know is going to sabotage what we plan do, we open our mouth, we procrastinate or just do something that we seem to not be able to not do. It’s called Self-Sabotage and it creates problems for us all and interferes with our long-term and even short term goal.

By far the number one self-sabotaging behavior is procrastination but there are others that include drinking, comfort eating and in the more hectic cases self-injury.  At the time we are doing what we are doing it seems so worthwhile but the end result is nearly always the same and it is not good or not what we hoped for and yet many people seem to engage in self-sabotage repeatedly.

Most people are not even aware that what they are doing is sabotage, a lot of what’s happening happens at a subconscious level or happens in a way that it is believed to be helping.  There is no guarantee that someone will stop doing something even if a certain behavior is proven to be self-sabotaging to them but it is a possible to overcome nearly all acts of self-sabotage that people do and it can be stopped every time and we can get out of our own way.

Some things are simple, some take some specialist help and there are even computer programs that can help but here are 5 simple steps to overcome self-sabotage that anyone can use.

Recognition

First of all you need to recognise that what you are doing is self-sabotage and recognise the activity or behavior and any linked behavior.

Change of thought

A lot of self-sabotage comes as a result of negative thinking. Whilst it is challenging to change instant thoughts you can change how you respond. To react is a knee-jerk reaction to respond requires you to slow down, pause and consider the positives and the negatives and then choose the positives. Change the way you think.

Take action

You next need to take action, move forward with whatever you need to do. Believing in your positives thoughts the action doing removes distractions. Once you have got into what you need to do and need to accomplish you feel more positive and this in itself removes that self-sabotaging habit, especially the procrastination that is often top of the list for us all.

Be thankful

A positive, thankful and grateful mind creates a very different attitude in a person. Look around you and while you may see misery, debt or even a huge work load – as I write this I am sat with a 6 massive deadlines – and it doesn’t look good. Take a second look, find something to be grateful for, find two and then find ten and feel the immediate change within yourself.  Self-Sabotage is defeated by being grateful and thankful

Reward yourself

The most important thing, especially for me, is to reward myself. Plan the reward, this will allow you to focus on something positive when you have done what you need to do.  The reward will block out the negativity and become a powerful tool in your overcoming of self-sabotage.