Self-Sabotage At Work

Are you in your own way? Self-sabotage is a behavior that is destructive. You have a goal in mind and yet your behavior is not in alignment with that goal.

If you have a goal, and you have an idea of what path to go through, why are you blocking yourself consciously or subconsciously?

For example, you set your goal to lose 10 pounds. After dinner, instead of refraining from snacking, you eat a pint of ice-cream. You know by eating the ice-cream, it will do the very opposite of losing weight. Why do you do it anyway?

Another example: you are seeing 20 patients in the clinic. After the 10^th patient, you decide to write up the rest of the patient charts at the end of the day. You know that this will take you longer to finish the charts as opposed to seeing one patient and doing one chart at a time. You are putting off charting anyway. Why is that?

This somewhat irrational behavior is based on your feelings. You may feel stress, overwhelmed, burnout or depressed. You may have fear – fear of failure, fear of inadequacy, fear of impaction. These unpleasant emotions are caused by certain beliefs.

Back to a typical clinical day. You understand that in order to finish the day on time, it is important to focus, concentrate and get the work done. Instead, you are checking your emails multiple times throughout the day. You are also checking on social media posts.

Self-sabotaging behavior comes in many different flavors. You may see procrastination – delaying the start of a job or making excuses to put off completing it. Another behavior is striving for perfectionism. Having a high standard is a good thing, until you use that as an excuse not to start a project, in the name of getting everything perfect first.

Another behavior of self-sabotaging at work is refusing to ask for help. Even though you know you need assistance, you choose to plow it through yourself.

You may be micromanaging a project. You may initiate conflict among team members. You may start blaming other people for something that is not a desired outcome.

These are all examples of self-sabotaging behavior.

One of the biggest reasons for self-sabotaging is fear. Fear comes in many different flavors. Fear of failure – you are concerned what if you do not achieve a certain standard. Your main thought behind it is you are not good enough. This leads you to avoid doing the task. It may cause you to avoid reviewing your goals.

Another reason for self-sabotaging is you are ignoring your wins. Instead of celebrating how far you have come, you are taking things for granted when they turn out to be in alignment with your values. When you do not acknowledge there are things worth celebrating at work, it is more challenging for you to find joy. You will focus more on the negative aspects associated with the work you are doing.

To avoid self-sabotaging, the first step is awareness. Notice when you are about to do something that is not in line with your goals and values. What are you avoiding? What emotions are you not wanting to feel?

Remind yourself that you have unlimited potential. You can do this. Be nice to yourself. When you notice that you are talking to yourself in a mean way, pause and be loving to yourself. Be kind.

Remember that every opportunity is a chance for you to learn and grow. When you feel stuck, or when you think you need help, do not hesitate to ask for assistance. Team work often make things even better. When you help each other win, it is a win-win situation.

When you are doing a task, set a goal. Set a stretch goal – not something impossible to reach or something easy for you to achieve. Set a goal that takes somewhat more effort than you have in the past.

Have an accountability partner. Someone who can be part of your team, or sometime who simply keeps track of your progress. The accountability partner is also someone who encourages you and cheers you on, especially at times when you do not feel like doing it.

Celebrate wins! Set little milestones and celebrate along the way. How does it feel to acknowledge and highlight what went well? It is a very useful fuel to keep you going.

Lastly, although you are having uncomfortable or unpleasant feelings, do it anyway. You do not need “a right frame of mind” to complete a task. You do not need “the perfect time” or “the perfect mood” to work on something. Take action, do it anyway.