My definition of self-sabotage is the following: It is a mental mechanism by which we deceive ourselves, justifying acts that actually harm us, but that prevent us from facing something that bothers us, regarding the achievement of goals set, even if we stop getting the desired results.
The human mind is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it helps us find the necessary resources to live, but on the other hand it is the place where the ego wants to dominate our lives, preventing us from acting from the intuition or the heart, when it comes to achieving our goals. Sometimes it makes us procrastinate, postponing tasks indefinitely due to some fear.
Today I bring you 3 tips that seem important to me when it comes to avoiding self-sabotage, to prevent you from deceiving yourself.
Be clear about your goals
The greater the clarity with which you set your goals, the greater the ease with which you achieve the desired results. It also leaves aside perfectionism, since it is one of the main enemies of the action.
Whenever we stop doing something it is because we gain something with it. For example, if I leave the diet I win in exchange for eating sweets… It is important that you identify what you earn, so that you can understand that you are going to lose more than you earn with self-sabotage, and stop making excuses.
Connect with your goal
Take responsibility for the decision you make when setting a new goal, committing yourself to believe in yourself and being sure that you will achieve the desired results to avoid fear. Talk to yourself telling yourself what motivates you to be able to reach your goal without self-sabotage.
When deciding your goal, you should be aware of your limitations, but trying to be very objective / o, since you run the risk of undue self-limitations. Also watch if you lack self-esteem, since self-sabotage is often the origin.
Stop procrastinating avoiding self-sabotage
Procrastinating is an anglicism referred to postponing actions unconsciously, generally due to some fear (not knowing, not being able, success, failure…). Although it takes us away from our goals and prevents us from obtaining results, we are not able to break this form of self-sabotage, and this leads us to feel bad about ourselves.
To stop procrastinating it is necessary to understand what is happening. Going back to the diet example, if your goal is to lose 5 kilos and before you start or half way through you start skipping the diet, you should think about what you gain by procrastinating. If your answer is "it is not the time" or "it is that I do not have will power" you will not solve it. You need to connect with the illusion that made you achieve your goals, visualize the results, and compare this with what you earn by skipping the diet. Surely the desired results will have much more strength and you will be able to advance towards your objectives, taking action.
Mark your goals clearly and eliminate fear, in order to achieve the results you expected, avoiding self-sabotage. Connect with your goal to achieve it, being aware of your real limitations, and avoiding procrastination.
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal. What counts is the courage to continue". Winston Churchill.
