My dad (mom passed away in my early teens), has always stuck by me through good and bad decisions. One of the hardest things you can do is to call yourself out on your own BS. The number four is significant to me as I am the 4th child and going through my 4th and most authentic version of myself. Please allow me to share 4 signals that you are being your own worst enemy.
What is stopping you from getting ahead? Are you having difficulty in finding opportunities, or could it be you're not taking the opportunities when they come to you?
I have been this person. I have self-sabotaged myself out of many opportunities. How can you tell if you’re doing this? Look for these four signs:
You Use the Emergency Exit
And do you tend to come close to completion of a project only to back out at the last minute? When you feel the need to bail, it's typically because you're afraid to take the last step. Either you're too worried that it won't work out, or worse, you're worried that it will. It's not uncommon to back away from things that frighten us. This is why we tank a relationship the moment we start to feel close to the other person. It's also why we sabotage ourselves at work when we hear we're being considered for promotion.
You're Procrastinating
When you put things off, it typically means you are feeling unsure about what you're doing. If you feel like your skills are not up to the task, or you're not confident regarding the next step, it's natural to put things off, hoping that they'll seem more apparent later. The problem is this clarity rarely comes. In truth, we only wind up sinking ourselves when we should have been asking for help.
You're Burying Yourself in Something Else Entirely
Are you easily distracted? If you're worried about the outcome of one project, it's not uncommon to throw yourself into another. This helps you keep your mind off of what worries you. It also keeps you from getting done what you need to.
You're Giving Yourself the Wrong Pep Talk
Instead of using some positive self-talk to get things done, are you by any chance using negative self-talk to keep you from trying? After all, it's very easy to convince ourselves that we're failures. Why do we do it? Because if we know, it's not going to work out, we never have to try in the first place.
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We all have been our own worst enemy at some point, but we don’t have to be.
Yes, we have. But hopefully, we learned the lessons.
You’re right on on all 4 points. However, recognizing them doesn’t necessarily mean that we can overcome. I think it is our human nature. We can acknowledge, accept and try our best to do better.
100% agreed. We just have to keep trying to do better.
I used to let that negative inner voice get to me and make me my own worst enemy, but the older I get the easier it is to quiet that voice.
I’m finding the same to be true. There is something wonderful about maturing – the pieces seem to find the right spot.