Here we are, 6 months into 2022. By this point, I hope you have found true progress towards your goals. I know for myself that when I used to be 6 months into anything, my motivation started to wear off and I found myself falling into old routines and habits more often than I’d like to admit. 

Even though I created momentum, I started to slow down and see myself being tempted to break these new patterns and behaviors. At least I did until I found the tools that worked for me to change my behavior. Does this feel familiar?

We often will sabotage our own success, often unknowingly, and the more you can become aware of what triggers this, you are able to break the barrier of a cycle that will put you right back to where you were 6 months ago. We don’t want that, so let’s face this head on and identify what is at the root of sabotaging your success:

Fearing Failure. Sometimes, it will seem easier to not follow through with a goal so we don’t have to say we didn’t conquer it. Our human nature is to grasp for control, even if it’s regarding a “failure”. 

Fearing Change. Change is hard, whether it’s good or bad. We get comfortable in how things are done or how we live our lives, even if those things aren’t the healthiest for us. Good changes can feel scary so we can sabotage our success based on the fear of the unknown.

Not Believing You Can Do It. Depending on your level of confidence and self-esteem, we can sabotage our efforts by not thinking we deserve the positive changes. There are many factors that can contribute to this, but this can be a reason why we self-sabotage when it comes to our goals. 

If the goal you've been working towards has halted or the progress has slowed, consider these three things above to see if it is a core reason for the lack of success. As important as it is to know the cause of sabotage, it’s helpful to know what common sabotage triggers can look like:

• Repeating negative thoughts. The internal messages that are on repeat have more of an impact than we think. We start to believe they are true when they are repeated.
• Comfort eating. This is something we can do without even realizing we are doing it! We rely on food to make us feel better. 
• Self-medicating. It can feel simpler to grab an extra drink or rely on drugs or alcohol when we feel those sabotaging myths creeping in. 
• Delaying, stalling or avoiding altogether. This is when we find any and all excuses to not follow the healthy habit. 

The amazing thing is that there are actual techniques you can use to combat that sabotage, which include:

• Being aware of what your triggers are. By evaluating what the causes of your sabotaging thinking or actions are, this is a good first step. If you can recognize it, you can change it. Awareness is powerful. 
• Start your day with a win. Don’t procrastinate your goals and start from the beginning of your day. If you are able to achieve something first thing, you are much more likely to continue with progress. If your goal is to exercise 4 times a week, try exercising first thing before you do anything else. It will be much easier to have it done than trying to fit it into the day and it not happening. 
• Break your goals into smaller chunks, rather than looking at the big picture. For example, if your goal is to 30 pounds, it is proven that you will be more successful at achieving this goal by breaking your weight loss goals into smaller chunks, like 2-3 pounds a week or even 8 pounds within a month. Being able to celebrate small wins helps this to become a long lasting habit.

We are here to support you and have a dedicated team ready to assist you in your goals through our coaching program. Let us help you to move past sabotage and onto success!