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Do You Recognize and Acknowledge Self-Sabotage When You See It?
Self-sabotage is currently staring me in the face.
There is nobody better at getting in my way than me.
I have an incredible talent for tripping myself along any given path I choose. Somehow, I manage to find a way to self-sabotage. Then, I wonder what happened and how I can stop it from happening again.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten better at recognizing it when it creeps up on me. Like a Dungeons and Dragons Rogue with a high sneak-attack bonus, self-sabotage manifests from the ethers and takes the shot.
This time, though, self-sabotage rolled poorly. Its stealth failed, and I saw it coming for me.
Yes, I am personifying an intangible matter. But in doing so, I am making it tangible. With this personification, I can see it and better work with it.
Allow me to clarify. First, let’s answer this question -
What is self-sabotage?
Self-sabotage is a subconscious action or inaction that runs counter to your goals. It’s a thing you do or don’t do to interfere with something that you’re striving for.
For example, I’ve set a goal to get my weight below 200lbs in 6 months when I turn 50. I set this goal on my 49 thbirthday. Halfway through the year, I have plateaued.
But that’s not the self-sabotage. The self-sabotage is how often I make excuses to enjoy foods I know are counter to my goal. Chocolate, bread, pasta, and the like — all of which are comfort foods for me — in moderation are one matter. I’ve allowed excuses to open the way to make poor choices, relax my discipline, and self-sabotage my goal as such.
Why? Because there is comfort in familiarity. And familiarity breeds contempt. That contempt gets applied to the unfamiliar — the uncertain result of achieving the goal. That departure from the comfort zone triggers subconscious beliefs, values, and habits. And before you know it — you’ve scuttled the ship and are now floating on a life-raft awaiting rescue.
But nobody can rescue me but myself. And that’s the other reality of self-sabotage. It’s entirely about and on the self.
