Have you ever wanted to do something different, but you give up and then get mad at yourself for it?
Yeah…. me too.
Since your brain’s #1 job is to keep you safe and alive,
It will throw out every thought it can to keep you from going after things you want.
Even when they are safe and fun!
You might see this when you want to do something new,
You might also see this when you’re trying to stop doing something.
You keep doing the same things to stay in your comfort zone.
Anytime you leave your comfort zone, even on purpose, you’re going to feel uncomfortable and anxious.
When you’re uncomfortable, your brain starts thinking of reasons you should go back to the way you’ve always done it.
So you sabotage yourself!
The thoughts that sabotage even your best ideas often fall into
a few categories.
Fear of Failure - Your brain will convince you that you're not perfect and you’ll fail right away so you never start or you quit when things are hard.
The Nasty Inner Voice - That voice that tells you you’re not smart or creative enough to go after the next level in your career, that tells you you’re too much or not enough, is there to keep you from being hurt. It’s mean but it works.
The desire for instant gratification - The sooner we get something, the sooner we get that little hit of dopamine. Choosing to wait for big goals takes impulse control. It means being uncomfortable and constrained for longer. Your brain will not like this and try to convince you to give up.
Overthinking and Overanalyzing - Planning is great. Overthinking and overanalyzing will keep you from taking action. Your brain will come up with every reason why something won’t work for you, why it’s bad, why you’ll fail, why you don’t have enough money or enough time, why you’ll be embarrassed or broke…..
To stop sabotaging yourself, you have to pay attention to what you’re thinking when you start to quit on yourself, then think and act differently on purpose.
Do you have a go-to game plan for when you notice you’re sabotaging yourself?
If not, now is the perfect time to schedule a consultation call with me to talk about what you want and what is stopping you.
I’ll help you see what you’re thinking that makes you quit or give up before you start.
We’ll find all the sneaky places anxiety and stress show up in your life,
and a path forward to what you really want to experience instead.
<3 Megan
Be sure to check out Episode 52 of the More than Anxiety Podcast to hear more about Why You Sabotage Yourself wherever you listen. While you’re there, take a quick minute to leave a review and follow so you don’t miss a beat and help others find the podcast as well. Thanks!