Breaking the Cycle of Self- Sabotage

Written By Roberto Swift

We've all been there. We have the perfect opportunity to succeed, but for some reason, we don't take it. Instead, we sabotage ourselves and end up failing. Why do people self-sabotage? There are many reasons why this happens. It could be because of fear or lack of confidence in oneself, or it might be because you're not ready yet to face a challenge that's too big for your current skill set.We think it's because we're just not good enough, but really, the reasons for self-sabotage are deeper than that. Whatever the reason may be, if you find yourself stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage then try these five steps towards breaking free!

Step one: Recognize the warning signs. This could be noticing a pattern of poor decision-making, or maybe it's an opportunity that you keep passing up for fear of failure. The first step in stopping self-sabotage is knowing when and where this behavior happens so we can better understand why it occurs.

Step two: Take responsibility by holding yourself accountable. If you are not keeping track of your thoughts and actions, then how can you ever expect to change them?

Step three: Find self-love by becoming caring for yourself more than anyone else could. It's easy to get wrapped up in what others think about us that we forget about the person staring back at us in the mirror!

Step four: Make small changes by starting with baby steps. If you need to, begin with just one positive change and stick with it until you become comfortable making another shift in your life.

Step five: Do it for yourself by doing something that makes you happy! When we can learn to love ourselves, the rest of our lives fall into place.

There is a song lyric by Andy Mineo that goes, "My biggest enemy is me and I can't stop me". Practice makes perfect! Once we find a new habit that works for us, then we can keep practicing until we do it without thinking.

The Power of Habits is a great book that dives into understanding how habits both positive and negative affect our lives. It breaks down how our minds are wired in simple terms.  It also has great advice on how to break bad habits and create new ones. It's a great read for anyone that wants to create positive change in their life.