(The Wrap-Up Magazine) Self-sabotage is any behavior, thought, emotion or action that holds you back from getting what you want consciously. Moreover, it is the conflict that exists between conscious desires and unconscious wants that manifests in self-sabotage patterns. It not only prevents you from reaching your goal, but also becomes a safety mechanism that protects you against disappointment. In other words, your brain is protecting you from getting hurt by doing what it thinks is best, which is keeping you within your comfort zone.
Have you ever wanted something so badly, for so long, tried so hard to get it, but failed? Have you ever set goals and objectives that you didn’t reach? Or have you ever wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns of behavior over and over again and therefore keep getting the same pitiful results? All of us at one point or another go through these phases. In fact, many of us go through these self-sabotage cycles on a weekly basis and as a consequence we live below the potential of our own abilities. We regret the things we didn’t do, yet wonder why we keep getting stuck in these limiting patterns.
Self-sabotage tends to linger in our lives because of a lack of self-esteem, self-worth, self-confidence, and self-belief. Likewise, we suffer from self-sabotage patterns because we are unable to manage our emotions effectively. We tend to react to events, circumstances and people in ways that hinder our progress and prevent us from reaching our goals and objectives. Self-sabotage is also used as a method of coping with difficult situations or high expectations of ourselves or others that we unconsciously feel we are not capable of reaching. No matter what our reasons for self-sabotage it is clear that if we don’t do something about it, that we will continue to live a life full of regrets and unfulfilled expectations.
Types of Self-Sabotage
Self-sabotage can come in many forms and manifest in our lives in many different ways. Here is a list of methods that we often use to sabotage our own success:
Fear of failure.
Fear of taking risks.
Fear of making mistakes.
Inability to listen to instructions carefully.
Inability to plan ahead.
Inability to say “no” to others.
Inability to consider the consequences of our actions.
Inability to think carefully before making decisions.
Inability to critical thinking or practically.
Inability to think flexibly about problems.
Inability to admit mistakes or errors.
Worrying constantly.
Having unrealistic expectations.
Critically judging ourselves or others.
Constantly comparing yourself to others.
Always complaining about people, life, circumstances or perceived bad luck.
The habit of procrastination.
The habit of perfectionism.
Accepting people’s advice without question.
Limiting beliefs, emotions and attitudes.
Limiting thoughts focused on what’s not working or on wishful daydreams.
