Sabotaging Behaviors
“Thoughts become things” – Bob Proctor
Do any of these statements sound familiar?
“Once again, here I am with an opportunity to fail. How fun!”
“I’m such an idiot!”
“This always happens to me!”
“Everyone hates me. Everyone is out to get me.”
“I’ll never amount to anything. I’m such a screw-up. Why can’t I just do things right?”
Talking down to yourself
These questions are not yours alone. This type of “self-talk” is so common that you may not even notice you’re doing it.
What you say to yourself has huge implications, both positive and negative.
Do you often feel as though you are the victim of life? Everyone is conspiring to “get you,” or nothing ever turns out right in your world.
Do you notice that when you believe those things, they always come true?
As you talk to yourself, you behave in ways consistent with your statements about yourself. For instance, positive self-talk makes you confidently walk into a meeting, open to possibilities, and full of hope.
Negative self-talk, on the other hand, can take away all self-confidence and pride in your abilities, sabotaging your potential for success.
But the forces that lead to self-sabotage can also be more subtle, such as an accumulation of dysfunctional and distorted beliefs that lead people to underestimate their capabilities, suppress their feelings, or lash out at those close to them.
How do I know if I am sabotaging myself?
Before an important meeting, a critical presentation, or any life event, what do you tell yourself?
Do you give yourself a pep talk of reassurance and affirmation, or do you anticipate the worst and prepare yourself for failure?
Take any moment throughout the day and stop to recognize what you are thinking and write it down. The more you can develop this habit, the more you will be able to recognize if a pattern exists.
Once you begin to recognize a pattern of self-sabotaging talk, you can begin to change your behavior.
An important aspect of dealing with counterproductive behavior is identifying when and where it starts. When it creates problems in daily life and interferes with long-standing goals, behavior is said to be self-sabotaging.
Are you tired of self-sabotage?
There are behavioral therapies that can aid in interrupting ingrained patterns of thought and action while strengthening deliberation and self-regulation processes.
Motivational therapies help reconnect you with your goals and values.
Let’s work on it.
We will work together to identify patterns of self-sabotage and understand your self-beliefs. You will be surprised and amazed at how changing your thoughts and beliefs can lead to a more productive and happy life!
Contact me at (856) 506-5159. Let’s discuss your path forward!