Self-Sabotage And Where it Comes From

Let’s think back for a minute. Think about a project, thought, or positive action you had that half way through, it fell apart. Now really think about that for a minute. Was there self-doubt? Or was it a bit deeper than that? Maybe just a fleeting thought that totally destroyed the thought process and thus destroyed your chances of being successful in what you were trying to accomplish. That’s all it will take, just that fleeting thought, even that little voice in the back of your head, and all is lost.

QUIT THAT!!!

This is the number one reason people lose confidence in what they are trying to endeavor to do, thus losing the opportunity to improve their lives! This is absolute madness!! And there is no reason for it. This is something people do to themselves all the time, and to the detriment of the possibility of a great life!

But where does this come from? What causes this? Simply put, at some time in our past something was said or done to cause that thought to surface. Anything from a parent or teacher saying something negative to a co-worker or supervisor discouraging you, SOMETHING in the past caused this detrimental thought or action to surface.

So, what do we do about these thoughts? First, we have to recognize this is a new thought process and a new path we are looking to undertake. This is some scary shit right here! The advantage we had before is we knew the possible outcomes. NOW we are thinking about something never experienced before, something unknown, and something absolutely terrifying to the point of paralysis.

So we get scared, and the (detrimentally) reassuring thought of “it’s ok, you will fail anyway” comes running through our mind and thus sabotages the task or thought.

Now to the solution. Let’s think about a task or thought you can do. Something simple will suffice for this example. Something like making the bed. This is something done in most households. The fitted sheet is already done, now to get the flat sheet on. All that requires is tucking the ends under the mattress, right? Ok, now for the comforter/blanket. That’s usually just laid on in a neat manner, and now you are done!

Describing this took a lot longer than it takes to do, and the procedure is already in your mind. And there weren't any negative thoughts or self-sabotaging while doing this.

So now we know there is the possibility of not self-sabotaging. The only question is how do we apply this to a new thought or action process? It’s really hard to break out of the habitual regimen of starting something and losing confidence. But to have a better and more confident life, that is what needs to happen.

So step one is to push those thoughts and doubts out of your mind. Step two is to start remembering you are worthy. You are worthy of success. You can do this, no matter what “this” is, you can do it. Three, and most important, is to actually start doing it.

Life is short, why limit it with your own thoughts?

Michael Barnes is a life coach and speaker on the key to unlocking the 5 aspects of a life worth living. Book a free chat here and see how he can help you start a life worth living.

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