Sabotage is defined as ‘a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction’. Self-sabotage is then deliberate action aimed at weakening one’s self. This is an unusual phenomenon as people usually have to deal with external forces when facing obstacles on their road to achieving a defined goal rather than internal ones. The focus here is on how self sabotage prevents people from reaching peak levels of success in any area of life.
There are three groups of people which can be identified when looking at how self-sabotage operates. There is group one, the people who get on with what they need to do with regard to achieving success and do not entertain sabotage. Then there’s group two, which consists of those who view success as a distant dream. These people don’t even attempt to achieve their dreams – they merely sail through life, embracing mediocrity. The third and final group is made up of people who could be referred to as the ‘half-way housers’. These individuals know exactly what they need to do in order to achieve success however they never seem to get around to doing it. They live in the half- way house between mediocrity and success due to their half hearted approach. Life here is not great but it’s not terrible either. They are literally always so close yet so far! Can you relate?
Habits or repeated patterns of behaviour which overtime become imprinted on the subconscious mind are one of the main causes of self sabotage. The subconscious mind once loaded with beliefs operates on auto-pilot and steers future behaviour towards outcomes which are in line with said beliefs. So if for instance there is an individual who feels that success in all areas of life is the expected standard, the subconscious mind will steer said individual in paths which see them grow and gain confidence as a person who always reaches goals which they set out to achieve. If on the other hand the repeated patterns of behaviour leave the subconscious mind focusing on lack, not being good enough and failure, the same thing detailed above happens except this time the individual is steered toward paths which see them under achieve as this serves to reinforce the dominant beliefs held. The latter is the explanation for behaviour which sees individuals sometimes go out of their way just to ensure that they prevent success. A classic example is of someone who’ll write out a to do list containing all they need to do in order to meet a specific target, yet they never complete it. Tasks roll over day after day as they find themselves occupied with other trivial yet seemingly urgent tasks which do nothing to move them forward toward achieving real, tangible success – self sabotage. For individuals in group one, completing a to do list is non-negotiable. Group three members mosey along hoping to do all they can with no real drive to complete any one task.
You may wonder why the subconscious mind would steer one toward that which is detrimental. The reason for this is that this aspect of the mind, which so little is known about, aims to prove one sane rather than to work toward that which is in one’s best interests. If predominant thoughts focus on not being good enough, the subconscious mind works to bring about events and occurrences which are in line with not being good enough – thoughts become things.
Thoughts lead to actions which when repeated often enough become habits. Habits set the subconscious mind into action and it is for this reason that it is necessary to engage in self examination to identify the root cause behind each case of self-sabotage. Some feel they are not good enough while others lack a sense of urgency when it comes to achieving success now. Whatever the case, it is necessary to identify what feeds self-sabotage in order to overcome it. It’s been said that ‘If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly’ and that’s so true. Why bother with anything if it will only be pursued half heartedly. Look at ways in which you could be getting in your own way before looking to external causes to explain the mediocrity and lack of success you may be experiencing.
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